07/29/2026
Last Tuesday, I received the phone call that Shelly had passed away while diving. Even now, it doesn't seem real.
Shelly believed in what we are doing here and worked hard to help us bring it all to life. Shelly was my right hand, one of the hardest- working people I've ever known and someone who truly took pride in every project she tackled.
The morning she passed away, we had been talking about how the hardest days were almost behind us. After months of working in Arkansas heat, we could finally see the finish line ahead. I remember telling her that soon we'd get to enjoy the fun part -cooking (one of her favorite things), visiting with guests and neighbors, and slowing down enough to enjoy what we had worked so hard to create.
Shelly could outwork just about anyone. She was incredibly intelligent and mechanically gifted. I used to tell her she should have been an engineer because she had the kind of mind that could figure out complicated problems.
In fact, we once made videos showing me how to light the grill on the food truck because I joked that one day she might not be here to do it and I'd be lost. I thought it would come in the form of a much needed day off- not that it would truly be without her.
When her children stopped by Pointe West, I took them on a tour to show them everything Shelly had helped create. I wanted them to know this wasn't just a job to her. She was building something she believed in. She understood that every detail mattered because families would come here to rest, reconnect, make memories and heal. She took great pride in being a part of that, and I hope her children know just how much of herself she poured into this place. I'm so proud of her and I feel her kids are too.
August 7th would have been Shelly's 49th birthday. She had been looking forward to celebrating during our community gathering at Pointe West. I wish I had it in me to give her that party- but I just don't have it in right now.
Thank you Shelly for believing in this dream without any questions asked, for tolerating my madness, and for leaving your fingerprints on a place that will always carry a part of you. You are deeply missed, and you always will be.
~ Lisa
View Shelly Lynn Huckaby's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.
