Shandi Hurst Obituary

SHANDI RAIN HURST 

 Everyone is welcome to join family and friends at the Celebration of Life Service being held August 24 2024 at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds @ 11 am, with an Irish/Scottish Wake to follow.

 Shandi Rain Fitchett-Hurst was born September 27, 1995, in Moses Lake, Washington to Kristie Fitchett (Garlinghouse), Big Sister Myranda Fitchett (Hohag), and Martin Reily who passed soon after her birth. 

 Shandi and her precious baby daughter, Skylar Raelynn were unexpectedly and tragically taken from this world far too soon on Sunday, July 14, 2024 in a fatal vehicle accident, which also claimed the life of her husband, Derick Hurst.

 Shandi spent her childhood growing up in the Pacific Northwest in the wilds of rural Ellensburg with her mom, Kristie Fitchett (Garlinghouse) and stepdad, James Wagner of New Jersey, where she developed a love of camping on the rugged beaches, swimming the Columbia River, hiking the Cascade Ranges volcanic peaks, exploring the rain forest, walking the lavender fields, dancing with an Irish dance troupe and singing in the Ellensburg Childrens Choir, playing her cello and her beautiful singing voice can still be heard today on the cd of “Come Walk in Beauty”. Traveling to Montana and vacationing at the lake house on Lake Pend Oreille her childhood rooted in exploration and travel, she loved the outdoors as much as she loved visiting Broadway and New York. Balancing that with spending several summers with her great grandparents, Dodd and Glenna Harris, great aunt, Vicki Broderick, and cousins, Roni, Justynne, and Grant in Southwestern Colorado gave her a deep love of the mountains, high sage steppe, swimming in the Dolores River, wildflowers, and butterflies. 

Moving to Cortez in 2010, with her mom, Shandi gained her bonus dad, Marc Garlinghouse, sister, Hunter Garlinghouse, and little brother, Brody. Shandi attended Montezuma Cortez High School, was nominated, and was chosen as a People to People Ambassador traveling to Australia the summer before graduating in 2014 with her EMT certification. She was an active member of the FFA and theater production department. 

 Shandi met Derick in the summer of 2020 (when she began going by Shay). Together they blended their families and kept the kids involved in many activities, including showing animals at the fair and 4H, wrestling, football, basketball, volleyball, softball, and baseball. They played on an adult coed baseball team and assisted in coaching the various teams that the kids were involved in. Shandi could always be found on the sidelines or on the field running and wrangling small humans.

 Shandi’s life was so much more than a couple of paragraphs and Shandi will be forever loved, and severely missed by her family, she is survived by her three sons, Rhys TylerBran (10), Jamieson Marc (7), and Dean Kaycee (2); her bonus daughters, Abby (11) and Nadia (7); her parents, Kristie Fitchett Garlinghouse and Marc Garlinghouse of Lewis; her beloved grandfather, Don Fitchett Brown, of Cortez; sister, Myranda Fitchett- Hohag and Jeremiah; nieces, Faiye and Emmberly; nephew, Tytain of Washington; sister, Hunter Garlinghouse, brother, Brody Garlinghouse of Denver; half-brother, Marty (Reily) Henderson and Samantha; nieces Molly and Charlotte, nephew, Jack of Washington; cousin, Christopher Nelson (Sidney) of Lewis; great aunt, Vicki Broderick of Cortez; former stepfather, James Wagner of New Jersey; many friends, and beloved friends that became and remain Family.

 Preceded in death and will be well met by her beloved grandmother, Cathi Lynn Fitchett Brown; her aunt, Christina (Fitchett Brown) Cypher; great grandparents, Dodd and Glenna Harris; and her uncle, Earl Broderick.

Shandi will be dearly missed by everyone who knew her or ever witnessed her beautiful smile.