Shelly M. (McCoy) Tanner

Shelly M. Tanner, age 47, of Harrison, passed away on Friday, February 7, 2020.

Services will be held at 2:00PM on Saturday, February 15, 2020 at the West Laurens Sixth Grade Academy Gymnasium. Rev. Al Haywood and Rev. Robby Jones will officiate. Burial will be held privately. The family will receive friends at the school from 1:00PM until service hour.

Mrs. Tanner was a native of Laurens County and of the Baptist faith. She was a graduate of West Laurens High School. She obtained a Diploma in Accounting from the Heart of Georgia Technical College in 2002, and an Associate of Applied Science and an Associate of Arts Degree from Middle Georgia College in 2005. In 2007, Shelly completed her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Georgia Southern University, and in 2009, obtained her Master of Science in Education from Walden University. She received her Educational Specialist in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in 2019. Shelly was employed with the Laurens County Board of Education and was currently a teacher and instructional coach at the West Laurens Sixth Grade Academy.

Shelly was a hard worker and dedicated to her family above all. She worked a full-time and part-time job, while driving back and forth to Statesboro as a full-time student. She also found time to volunteer with extra-curricular committees at the school, care for her three sons, and somehow make it all look effortless. Shelly was a teacher and mother to many students throughout her thirteen years of teaching. She lived a lot of life in her time on earth and she touched many lives. She loved each and every one of her students, and did her best to make sure they knew she was there for them if they needed her for anything, not just school related. She was loyal and a straight shooter, if you asked for her opinion you would get it, even if you didn't like it. She would tell you how she felt, what she thought, and then have your back even if she didn't agree with you.

Shelly always found a way to make you laugh, and she filled many lives with joy, and unconditional love. She will also be remembered for her smile and her spark. She was a strong person who endured a lot of pain but always forged forward. Shelly took care of the people in her life and she left you no doubt of how much she loved you.

Survivors include her husband, Vince Thomas Tanner, of Harrison; sons, Jesse Powell, of Tallahassee, FL, Kade Powell (Ragan), of Dublin, and Evan Carr, of Dudley; mother, Linda Harvey (Fred), of Dublin; father, Johnny McCoy (Debra), of Macon; siblings, Holly M. Sapp (Stacey), of Dublin, John L. McCoy, III (Katie), of Indiana, Mary Beth Broughton (Tony), of Warner Robins, and Chris Harvey, of Dublin; grandson, Mac Powell, of Dublin; nieces, Miranda Whittington, Shannon Sapp, Bailey Harvey, Shar McCoy, Joni McCoy, and McKenzie Rodriguez, and nephew, Luke McCoy.

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