Fayetta Phillips Short, 87, of Lillyhaven, WV passed away on Monday, August 31, 2026 at her home surrounded by her family and friends. She was born in Grapevine, KY on June 16, 1939 a daughter of the late Virgil Phillips and the late Mae Reynolds Phillips Jeffrey. Fayetta was a 1957 Graduate of Oceana High School, graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1971 from Concord College, now Concord University, with a Bachelors degree in Business Education while raising her two young daughters. Then, she attended Marshall University and graduated in 1978 with a Masters plus 45 in Business Education. She began her 30-year teaching career in 1971 at Oceana Middle School and transferred to Oceana High school from 1972-2001 where she taught business/accounting courses until her retirement in 2001. She retired to assist her mother after the flood of 2001 and eventually became her mother’s primary caregiver. She was a loving and devoted wife, daughter, mother, grandmother, sister-in-law, and teacher. She was married to her high school sweetheart, Vernon, for 68 years, 11 months, and 3 days. The two of them built their current home in Lillyhaven together in 1973, with her painstakingly sanding and hand staining every piece of trim and doors throughout. She so enjoyed her country music and attended numerous concerts throughout her lifetime with her family. She was a pro at identifying young artists who would eventually “make it big”. Her other hobbies included reading, crossword puzzles, cruises, her all time favorite soap, Guiding Light, gardening, and watching Dr. Charles Stanley’s worship service on Sunday mornings. However, her greatest enjoyment came from spending time with her family and ensuring everyone ate her home cooked meals and that each child/grandchild had their favorite dish prepared. Holidays, particularly Thanksgiving and Christmas, were always a celebration and a feast. Family gatherings at Smith Mountain Lake for the 4th of July each year were always some of her favorite times as well. She took great pride in her children and grandchildren with all graduating with college degrees. She was adored by all who had the opportunity to know her and words used to describe her have been intelligent, beautiful inside and out, classy, elegant, loving, selfless, perfectionist, among many others. Those left to cherish her memory include her loving husband Vernon L. Short, her daughters Debra Short Hunt of Beckley and Lisa Short Robinson (Steve) of Roanoke, VA, her grandchildren Melanie Dawn Trent Arrigoni (Jon) of Meadow Bridge, Joshua Michael Caron (Amanda) of Greenville, SC, and Dr. Kyle Thomas Caron of Kingsport, TN, great-grandchildren Deven Garcia Arrigoni of Morgantown and Lily Elise Caron of Greenville, SC, her sister-in-law Rita Short Jenkins of Clear Fork, and a host of other loving family and friends. Funeral service will be held at 1pm on Friday, September 4th in the Chapel of Stafford Family Funeral Home, Lynco, WV. Friends may gather with the family from 11am until time of service Friday at the funeral home. She will be laid to rest in the Palm Memorial Gardens Mausoleum, Matheny, WV. Pallbearers will be Dr. Kyle Thomas Caron, Joshua Michael Caron, Deven Garcia Arrigoni (Alexandria Stevens), Jon Browning, David Blankenship, and Calvin Cline. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Hospice of Southern West Virginia who provided excellent care and support not only to our loved one, but to the family as well, to Dr. Matthew Reilly and staff at UVA Cancer Center, Dr. Shashikant Bhavsar, and to our dear friends, who are more like family and have been with us through every step of this journey, Becky and David Blankenship. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Hospice of Southern West Virginia in her memory. The family is being served by the Stafford Family Funeral Home, Lynco, WV.