GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA – Wynona Dooley Shetti passed away peacefully on Friday, July 16, 2021, at the age of 75, surrounded by her family. Born on June 25, 1946, in the mountains of Franklin, North Carolina, Wynona was the daughter of Margie Frazier Dooley and Bill Dooley.
By her own admission, Wynona was a “bodacious, awesome, sweet, and spunky” mother and grandmother who lived a beautiful life that was full of joy, adventure, and love. Wynona’s early years and adolescence were spent in the mountains of Franklin, North Carolina with her mother and two brothers. As the only girl in her family, she developed a long-lasting grit that gave her brothers a run for their money. She frequently spoke about mountain life and the trials and triumphs of her early years that were largely shaped by her godly mother and grandmother. This author remembers hearing how Wynona learned to prepare a live chicken on the farm and can attest that no detail was spared in the farm to table experience. Wynona was a cheerleader and friend to many in her childhood and adolescent years, but she dreamt of traveling around the world.
Thankfully, she met the love of her life who turned that dream into a reality. On a summer day, Wynona was in her yard and encountered a strapping young man who had recently immigrated to the United States from Karwar, India. For over 53 years, Wynona and her beloved D. K. Shetti (“Shetti,” as she affectionately called him) had a wonderful and joyous marriage. They were inseparable, and their love and true appreciation for one another was palpable. They were dedicated to each other in such a profound way, and that dedication shaped their family. Wynona and Shetti had three daughters, Lise, Tammy, and Michelle, all of whom resided within a 20-minute radius of their cherished parents. They traveled to India, Europe, and many cities and countries together. She developed close friendships across the globe and never met a stranger.
Wynona believed her daughters, nine grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren hung the moon and the feeling was more than mutual. If each of them had to use one word to describe Wynona, it would likely begin and end with “empathy.” She had the unique and extremely rare ability to step into the shoes of anyone she encountered and gave fantastic advice to her children and grandchildren despite their age or the issue at hand. In fact, her grandchildren would often call her if they were in trouble in school before telling their mothers as she would help them devise a plan to limit the amount of trouble that they would be in at home. Regardless of the issue, anyone who spoke with her would leave the conversation feeling better than when it started, because she made them feel heard and valued. Simply put, Wynona was the “go-to” person for all of us, and words are not enough to fully articulate the impact that she had in our mindset and lives. Wynona cared for her mother for over 10 years in her own home, and she was a caregiver to both of her brothers. She saw caregiving as a blessing despite the challenges and never thought twice about doing whatever she could for her entire family, including her church family. Wynona served in many capacities within her church as the leader of Women’s Ministries, Children’s Church, and Senior Ministries.
Wynona worked at Holiday Inn and eventually retired after 20-plus years of service. Beginning as an innkeeper, she worked all of the way up to the managerial level. She spent many days in suits and heels at a time where there were limited opportunities for women in the workplace and made it to the top of her field. Wynona, along with Shetti, later worked at The Gaston Gazette, and they always taught their daughters and grandchildren the value of a hard day’s work.
Wynona also taught her family the importance of giving back to the community and those in need. She took the expression “give the shirt off of your back” to an entirely new level. On one occasion, Wynona was serving as her daughters’ Girl Scout troop leader and encountered a family who had fallen upon hard times. She found out that the family’s heat was not working properly and that they did not have any Christmas gifts. Wynona asked the girls if they would be OK giving part of their Christmas gifts to the family, and she paid for the heat to be repaired. Wynona taught her girls many lessons and would likely agree that the most important one of all was to always share the heat.
Wynona will be profoundly missed and deeply treasured by her family. Her love, ability to find humor in almost any situation, and willingness to always see the good in people and in life will be a guiding force for her family for the rest of their lives. As a testament to her, we will always share the heat.
Wynona is survived by her adored daughters, Lise (Ken), Tammy (Scott), and Michelle (Sammy); grandchildren, Amanda, Scott, Breanna, Megan, Matthew, Carol, Jennifer, and Lisa; great-grandchildren, Lainee, Gaige, Mason, Halyn, Asher, William, Rylen and Elliot. She is preceded in death by her beloved Shetti, along with her mother, father, two brothers, and her grandson, David. We take comfort knowing that she is reunited with Shetti who she missed so greatly since his passing last year, along with other dear family members and friends. What a sweet reunion that she must have had with Papa and family after meeting her Almighty Father.
Family and friends of Wynona Shetti celebrated her life from 2 to 4 p.m. on Monday, July 19 at the Hilton Garden Inn Azalea Room, in Gastonia.
Arrangements are with the South Chapel of Greene Funeral Service and Crematorium, Gastonia. Condolences may be made at greenefuneral.com.