Nellysford
Nelson County, Virginia
By Tommy Stafford
I met Marilyn Shifflett of Nellysford many years ago. I can’t tell you exactly when, but it’s been over 10 of the 20 years we’ve lived here permanently. I didn’t really get to know Marilyn and become closer to her until the looming threat of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) became a very real threat to majestic mountains of Nelson County. You can’t think about the ACP and the opposition to it without thinking of Marilyn Shifflett. She was a tireless crusader against the pipeline, and in the end, in great part to her efforts, Dominion finally gave up and pulled the plug on the ACP.
“She was such an incredible ally in the fight against the ACP, but also just an absolute gem for this county. And she somehow always seemed to approach the hardest fights with a smile and optimism. I loved working with her,” Richard Averitt told me Monday afternoon after learning of Marilyn’s passing. They worked side by side for years to defeat the ACP.
Marilyn didn’t single handly defeat the pipeline. But without her diligent research and opposition, I am not sure Dominion would have packed their bags and left so soon. She should have been a researcher for any news network in the country or any institution. She simply was that good.
Marilyn reminds me of another warrior for Nelson County that left us a few years ago, Kim Cash. Kim, Like Marilyn, was adamant about keeping the heritage and character of Nelson County fundamentally rural. Back in the day Kim was at every BOS meeting, every zoning meeting, and more. She kept meticulous minutes from each meeting and made them available on the then Rural Nelson website. Kim passed away back in 2019 Both Marilyn and Kim were pioneers that predated a lot of us. Kim was responsible for finally getting big trucks banned from Route 56 West (Crabtree Falls Highway) They always got stuck up there near Montebello. Marilyn was just as important in helping get the ACP stopped just a few years back.
Marilyn and I didn’t always agree politically. Far from it. But we both despised government waste and inefficiency. Anyone on the Nelson BOS knew better than to go to war with Marilyn. She always had her homework done long before coming to a meeting. Years later we joined forces in a campaign. When Marilyn committed, she committed. And she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Ever.
Which brings me to the sad part of this story. Saying goodbye to Marilyn, forever. She passed away this morning, Monday – May 6, 2024, at her home. I won’t be passing that cute green house of hers just north of Nellysford anymore wondering what Marilyn’s up to these days in retirement. She finished off her work years not terribly long ago at Martin’s over in Waynesboro. She was freed up, finally, to do more of what she wanted with grandkids and such.
Some weeks ago I was taken into confidence by a mutual friend of mine and Marilyn’s. We were at lunch and she confided to me the end was near for Marilyn. She’d enter hospice. An aggressive cancer was attacking her. Through her tears she poured her heart our to me about how sudden this was and how devastated she was that her friend would soon be gone. I was shocked. I always thought Marilyn would be around for years. I’d be able to text or phone and get some info from her about this or that. But like so many I’ve had to write about since moving to Nelson two decades ago, Marilyn is gone.
I cannot overstate how important this woman was in keeping what all of us enjoy here in Nelson pristine. Again, Marilyn wasn’t the only person that stopped the ACP, but without her that chore would have been far more difficult.
There won’t be a funeral service for Marilyn, but the family says there will be a Celebration of Life ceremony in the future.
Thank you Marilyn for making me think more, become a better debater, and friend.
Sleep in peace Marilyn and fly high. You made a difference.
