“Love whenever possible. Life, no matter how long, is too short for anything else.”
Patricia Jo Shelor Lambert, age 69, was born in September 1948 in Logan, West Virginia to coal miner and electrical engineer Roy Shelor and his wife Marguerite Cooper Shelor. She was the first of three children, her siblings Roy Shelor and James Shelor. She passed away in her sleep on February 17, 2018 after months of continued health issues.
Patricia graduated in the top 10% of her class from Logan Sr. High School in Logan, West Virginia where she enjoyed the “advanced learning” program, art classes and physical education. This led her to attend Marshall University, in West Virginia, where she graduated with a degree in secondary education.
She then moved to Virginia where she met her husband Jack Lambert and married him in 1970. They began their married life in South Western Virginia and settled in Radford, Virginia for the majority of their young married life. In 1972 they had their first son, Dr. Eric Lambert and in 1981 they had their second son, Michael Lambert. She was very proud of her family and strived to build good relationships with her family.
In 1975 she was hired as one of the first women in the Data Control Department at Volvo White Truck Corporation (White Motor Corporation at the time). She took night computer and business classes to continue her education and was promoted to computer programmer/analyst after several years. Then was eventually promoted to manager of Quality Control and Security of Volvo Heavy Truck Information Technology Division for North America and South America. She received several awards while working for Volvo and was on the World Council for Volvo, in which she traveled to Sweden several times a year, which she really enjoyed.
She was an extremely independent, positive, loving woman, who valued her family and friends above all else.
She wanted to share these words of advice for future generations:
“If I had any advice to pass along to future generations, it would be to develop yourself to your highest potential. Involve yourself in creative activities and don’t become a ‘TV Junky’. During the span of an average lifetime, the normal human being only ‘taps’ the hidden potential of the powerful brain that he or she possesses. So much more can be accomplished through the powers of the mind that can only be dreamed of by those with only physical power. I truly feel that our nation is ‘missing the boat’ in this field. A person must constantly strive throughout life to improve the ‘temple’ that God has so graciously give us. Try to develop a good sense of self-worth. In feeling good about yourself, you help others to do the same through your good example. Maintain the quality of empathy in order to keep a balanced perspective of yourself and the world around you. Never stop caring and giving of yourself in order to improve life for others and yourself. Don’t be ashamed to cry when you feel the need, because this is a necessary function given from God to keep us healthy, physically and mentally. Don’t be afraid to be a little ‘different’. Sometimes it is necessary not to ‘go along with the crowd’ in order to establish your own ‘path’. This is a sure sign of maturity and responsibility. Please remember that there is always something good in even the worst of us, just as a broken clock tells the correct time twice a day. Do not be quick to judge others and place blame, until you have personally ‘walked in their shoes’. Most of all, love whenever possible. Life, no matter how long, is too short for anything else.”
