Our sweet daughter, Stori Eliece Shepherd Hughes, passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 17, 2013 in Newland, NC.  She was 49 years old.

Stori was born in Dallas and attended school in the Richardson I.S.D. at Bowie Elementary, Westwood Jr. High and J.J. Pearce High School.  Stori was a cheerleader and an exceptional soccer player.  She played in the World Class Sting Soccer Club that won the U.S. National Championship and subsequently beat the Canadian and Mexican National Champions.  The government of Taiwan paid all expenses for the team for a two-week trip and tournament in Taiwan.

Stori became a flight attendant for American Airlines in 1986.  She met and fell in love with Jonathan Hughes in Colorado in 1995 and they were married in Dallas in 1996.  They had homes in Florida and North Carolina and enjoyed traveling, fishing, hiking and playing golf together.

Stori was with American for 17 years and she developed breast cancer in 1999.  After a sustained struggle including a stem cell transplant, she was able to beat it.  She was cancer-free for 11 years before being stricken again by an even more devastating cancer.  Stori was in Duke University Hospital for 78 days last year.  She had incredible courage and fight and fended off her terrible disease for over a year longer than the medical community thought possible

Throughout all of this, she was cheerful and kind to all of those who cared for her.  All of them, doctors, nurses, hospice workers and others loved and admired her.  Her husband, Jonathan, had been her primary caregiver and no parent could ask for a finer, more dedicated and loving son-in-law.

Stori is survived by Jonathan; her parents, Margaret, Tom and Sandie Shepherd; her sisters, April Emrie and Stephanie Schneider; brother, Steele Shepherd; father-in-law, Bud Hughes; brothers-in-law, Chip and David Hughes; sister-in-law, Stacey Hughes;  nieces and nephews.

We are so grateful for the wonderful years we shared with her and immensely proud of the woman she was.  As much as we are hurting today, we are going to celebrate her life.  We know that she is in a special place in heaven now.  We know that many of you prayed for Stori and us this past year and we want you to know how much we have appreciated your support.

Margaret, Sandie and Tom