VELTRE, Shirley Mrs. Shirley Adeline Buckelew Veltre, age 76, beloved wife of the late, Joseph A. "Joe" Veltre, passed away peacefully at her home on Friday evening, December 20, 2013. Born in LaGrange, Troup County, Georgia, she was the eldest of four children born to the late Judge Leonard and Lillian Smith Buckelew. She was raised in LaGrange and Chipley before moving to College Park. As a young woman, she graduated from College Park High School, Class of 1954. After high school Miss Buckelew attended the Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville. She returned to East Point and began modeling for Riches Department Store and other venues in the Atlanta area. While working as a Model, she entered and placed 2nd in the Miss Atlanta Beauty Pageant. The Atlanta beauty met a UGA student, Joseph Allen Veltre, which would become her husband in 1958. As her husband began a long career with Ford Motor Company, Mrs. Veltre began a career of her own with the Internal Revenue Service. She worked in the Auditing Department within the Atlanta Division Office where she would later become the Supervisor of that department. In 1992, she accepted a transfer to the Jacksonville Office and retired in 1994. While pursuing their careers and raising their three children, the Veltre's lived in the Stockbridge area of Atlanta. As a family they enjoyed trips and holidays to family property at Clarks Hill Lake and Recreational Area near Lincolnton, GA. Mr. Veltre and Mrs. Veltre were passionate about fishing and imparted their love of being on the water; skiing and boating to all of his family. Their motto was "Any time spent on the water is quality time". Mrs. Veltre also enjoyed sewing and entertaining friends and family whenever possible. She enjoyed passing the knowledge of being able to sew anything on to her daughter. At the time of her transfer to Jacksonville, she and her husband came to Fernandina Beach and made their new home on the banks of Egan's Creek. Mrs. Veltre's husband, Joe, passed away on a Friday evening also; on May 24th of this year. She is also preceded in death by her only brother, Judge "Buck" Leonard Buckelew Jr., who passed away in November of this year as well. She leaves behind, their children, Joseph Michael "Joe" Veltre (Melissa), Jacksonville, FL, John Kurt Veltre (Jessie), Fernandina Beach, FL, Suzan Burton Veltre (Judd), Beverly Hills, FL, two sisters, Frankie Sue Rollins (Herbert), Anchorage, AK, Virginia Lee Burke (John), East Point, GA, seven grandchildren, Ashley Reynolds (Scott), Tyler Veltre, Erin Zagar (Dan), Sofia Leon, Seth Veltre, Zac Burton, Conner Veltre, five great grandchildren, Ellie, Caden, Logan, Jillian, Nolan and nieces and nephews, George, Mimi, Kevin, Ty, Amber and Landru. And many great nieces and nephews. Memorial services will be at 4:00 pm on Saturday, January 4, 2014 in the Burgess Chapel of Oxley Heard Funeral Home. Her family will receive friends on Saturday, at the funeral home, from 3:00 pm until the hour of service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Northeast FL, 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32277.

  Published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Dec. 25, 2013