Judy Darlene Smith Belcher

Judy Darlene Smith Belcher, our beloved “Nana,” of Winston-Salem, NC, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on January 4, 2023, at the age of 76. This beautiful warrior kicked the backsides of breast cancer (twice) and ovarian cancer (stage four). When leukemia showed up, she beat that, too. We believe that, rather than leukemia defeating her in the final round, she chose to walk away from the fight as a three-time champ with the grand prize.

Judy was an educator for over 37 years. She taught mathematics at Narrows High School (Narrows, VA), Montcalm High School (Montcalm, WV), Glenn High School (Kernersville, NC), East Forsyth High School (Kernersville, NC), and Bishop McGuinness High School (Kernersville, NC). She also served as curriculum coordinator at Glenn High School.

Outside the classroom, she taught her family many valuable lessons, among them: Always ride in a convertible with the top down. Also: Always be ready to sing, “she wore an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini” as you pack up your big green cooler for a day at the beach. Take the grandkids parasailing. Remember that beach vacations can always be improved by squirting shaving cream into the hands of sleeping children. Tell the children it wasn’t you. Always follow through with your lie–really sell it. Do nothing half assed—full assed efforts only. Friends can be made everywhere: at work, on vacation, in the back of an ambulance, during the midnight hospital shift, during a pedicure, in a grocery store checkout line. When in doubt, eat the chocolate. Sew on a flat button with a little space between the button and the cloth, or it will pop right off again. The most important things in the world are family and love. Remember that there are no electric mixers involved in making good fudge. Keep your things nice and clean and you’ll never have to replace them. Never stop learning, and never stop being curious. Everyone is a teacher, and there is never, ever a student who is out of reach. No matter what the odds are, they can be beaten. Make music requests during chemo. The most important thing you can do for your children is love each other. Invite the neighbors to Christmas dinner. Show up for your people every single time. Bring them together with food. Make everyone feel like the most important person in the room. When someone says they like something, buy it immediately and save it for their birthday. When things get tough, remember: It is what it is.

Her spirit lives on in her husband Robert (“Bob”); her sister Pat McGinn; her children Aaron Shaver (Shannon), Amy Minton (John), and Jeff (Whitney); her grandchildren Addy, Alix (Cameron), Carson, Corbin, Drake, Ethan, and Jakob; her niece Heather Garrard (Patrick and children Caroline and Eli). Judy is now reunited with her parents Alfred and Mabel, her brother-in-law Tom McGinn, and her nephew Patrick McGinn.

The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and support staff on the oncology floor at Forsyth Medical Center for their excellent care and perpetual kindness.

Family, friends, and friends she hadn’t met yet may attend our celebration of Judy’s life at Vogler’s Funeral Home, 3815 Yadkinville Rd, Winston-Salem, on Saturday, January 14 at 2:00 pm. Per her wishes, this is not to be a somber affair; dress comfortably in bright colors. In a private ceremony this spring, Judy’s ashes will be spread at an overlook near Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, VA., where, in the 1930s, her father helped build the native sandstone lodge that still stands today and where she worked her first summer job.

Please don’t send flowers. Instead, buy a bouquet for your home and think of her. But if you insist on emptying your bank account, consider joining the cancer battle in Judy’s community by donating to: Forsyth Medical Center Foundation, 3333 Silas Creek Pkwy, Box 19, Winston-Salem, NC 27103, (Memo line: Simstein Fund, in memory of Judy Belcher). Or online at: https://bit.ly/simsteinfund

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.voglerfuneralhome.com for the Belcher family.