Vickie Jane Gentry

Vickie Jane (Shackelford) Gentry was born on September 8, 1954, in Texarkana, Texas and passed away on July 9, 2025, in Sun City, Arizona. After graduating from Arkansas High School, Vickie moved to Arizona, where she married Mike, her husband of 50 years. They had two children (Leah and Lance). Vickie spent her career dedicated to early childhood education, serving as a teacher and administrator at First United Methodist Preschool in Glendale and Apostles Lutheran Preschool in Peoria. In these roles, she instilled a love of reading and creativity in generations of students.  Devoted to her family and friends, Vickie was generous, fiercely loyal, and witty. She loved Diet Coke, dogs, books (her favorite was Lonesome Dove), and basketball (she was a fan of the Arkansas Razorbacks and the University of Arizona Wildcats). She was known for her kindness, wisdom, humor, and impeccable taste. Vickie was a force for good to everyone she met. She will be dearly missed by her family, friends, and her beloved sister Paula.  Practicing kindness mattered to Vickie. Donations to Ben’s Bells Project (bensbells.org) may be made in her memory. To honor her love of animals, donations may also be made to Sun City 4Paws Cat Rescue (4pawsrescue.org).