Vondel Smith Mortuary (13125 N. MacArthur Blvd)

Virgie Shank lost a quick battle with inflammatory breast cancer June 14, 2022. Virgie was born to Chuck and Kathleen Snelgrove in Southwest Oklahoma City on January 28, 1947 and spent most of her formative years attending Columbus Elementary, Jackson Junior High, and Capitol Hill High School. A 1965 graduate, Virgie was in the National Honor Society and lettered in six sports: volleyball, basketball, softball, tennis, badminton, and synchronized swimming. Virgie was a long-time member of Kentucky Avenue Baptist Church where she attended Sword Drill, Sunday School, Falls Creek, and was named Miss Young Women's Auxiliary. She met Richard Shank in 1964 and after his tours in Vietnam she became a Marine wife residing in Carlsbad and Oceanside, California. Richard and Virgie returned to Oklahoma to Stillwater where she began cheering for the Oklahoma State Cowboy teams.

Virgie and Richard were always quick to join their local Southern Baptist churches and volunteered for many activities in service to those. She especially enjoyed her time leading the Women's Missionary Union at the First Baptist Church of Piedmont, OK.

Virgie was a devoted, loving mother to two girls, Laura and Carla, and volunteered for most anything that mothers were asked to do at school and church. Vacation Bible School, Girls in Action, Homeroom Mother, Library volunteer, Helping Hands, Field Trips, and Falls Creek Cook are some of the many ways she stayed an active part of the girls' lives. She also worked as the secretary for the 5th and 6th grade building for Piedmont Public Schools. Her greatest joy in life was being a mother. That joy expanded into being a grandmother to Jeannie, Katt, Hannah, Rebekah, and Karl. She loved spending time as "Giggie" to them.

Family was important to Virgie and she was a favored Aunt, Cousin, Sister, and In-law of most everyone related to her. She was preceded in death by father, David Clarence Snelgrove and mother, Kathleen Snelgrove of Oklahoma City, OK. She is survived by husband Carl Richard Shank of Seiling, OK; brother David Snelgrove & wife Mary of Piedmont, OK; sister Shirley Owen & husband Dennis of Mustang, OK; daughter Laura Sobieck of Columbia, MO; daughter Carla Brown of Highlands Ranch, CO; grandchildren Jeanne Sobieck, Rebekah Sobieck, and R. Karl Sobieck of Columbia, MO; Haley Katt Brown and Hannah Brown of Highlands Ranch, CO, as well as a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, and cousins.

Friends and family are invited to a visitation on Thursday, June 16, 2022 from 4-8pm at Vondel L Smith Mortuary North, 13125 North MacArthur Blvd, OKC, OK. Funeral services will be held Friday, June 17, 2022 at 11am at the First Baptist Church of Piedmont, OK, 15 Jackson Ave NW, Piedmont, OK. Burial to follow approximately 2:30pm Munice Cemetery, Seiling, OK approximately one mile west of the intersection of Hwy 270 and Hwy 51.

Donations in Virgie's honor can be made to the Baptist Mission Center, 2233 West I-44 Service Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73112.