Lori A. (Smithberger) Wickham

On Wednesday, July 10, 2024 Lori A. Wickham, 44, of Warwood, West Virginia went home to be with the Lord following a valiant battle with Esophageal Cancer.  She was a beloved mother, fiancée, daughter, sister, aunt, and teacher.

Lori was born in Bellaire, Ohio on March 16, 1980 to Frank and Linda (Vitale) Smithberger.  She grew up in Woodsfield, Ohio where she was enrolled at St. Sylvester’s Central School. She attended Barnesville High School and graduated in 1998.  Lori began her lifelong pursuit of learning at Bethany College and graduated in 2000 with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater.

Lori’s love for learning did not stop there and in 2010 she received her Master of Science in Education from Franciscan University of Steubenville.  Her great thirst for knowledge made her a lifelong student; she attended Ohio Dominican University and received her Master of Arts in English Language and Literature in 2018.  In June of 2023 she attained a long desired academic goal by earning her Doctoral Degree in Education from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Learning was her passion and something she worked hard to spread throughout her community.

Lori taught in the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District for the past 13 years.  She taught English and Visual Arts at Beallsville High School.  Her love and dedication for her students was undeniable and she worked hard to inspire them to appreciate literature and writing.  She would go above and beyond for any student, meeting them where they were, providing them with the tools needed to succeed.  She was not just a teacher but a fierce advocator and mentor for her students.

Lori did not just love her high school students; she was also a Professor of English at Belmont College and West Virginia Northern Community College for many years.  Educating and inspiring students were two of Lori’s greatest attributes and she made sure she shared them as much as she could.

Lori’s greatest attribute of all however, was her big heart.  Anyone that knew her would have a story of an act of kindness she had bestowed on them.  She loved her family, especially her son Kaiya, her students, her friends, and random strangers she would encounter.  She entered each day trying to figure out how she could make the world a better place.  She reached out to all those in need and had the special capacity to love and accept people for who they were.  Lori embodied love and compassion and had a knack of being able to get anyone to talk to her.  You could never leave Lori’s presence without feeling loved.

Left to cherish her memory are her son, Kaiya Wickham; Kaiya's father, Jason Wickham; her fiancée, James Guy; James’s daughters, Erin and Emma and his grandson, Elio; her parents, Frank and Linda Smithberger; her sister, Jaime (Micheal) Stuckey; her brothers, Justin (Nikki) Smithberger and Sean (Marianne) Smithberger; also seven special nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.  Lori was preceded in death by her grandparents, Harold and Alfrida Smithberger and James and Lucille Vitale; a very special great-uncle, Edmund Schumacher; three very special great-aunts, Louise, Marie, and Mildred Schumacher.  

Lori was a very special young woman who loved greatly and was greatly loved. She leaves behind a legacy of love.  She will be missed by all who knew her.

In keeping with Lori's love of teaching, her love for others, and her desire to make the world a better place, it was her wishes that her body be donated to science after her passing.  In this way, Lori felt she could continue to teach even after she was gone from this earth.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

To celebrate and honor Lori's life, a memorial gathering concluding with a memorial service will be held for family and friends at the Beallsville High School Campus, 43822 SR 556,  Beallsville, Ohio on Sunday, August 11, 2024 from 12:00 noon until the time of the service at 2:00 PM.  Everyone is welcome to attend and all are asked to bring a story or memory of Lori to share.

In lieu of flowers and keepsakes, Lori’s family requests that donations be made to “Beallsville Rally for Life,”  ℅ Kathy Rees, 46270 SR 556, Beallsville, Ohio 43716 or by visiting this website:https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/872787182

Beallsville Rally for Life is a 501 (c)(3 ) organization and all donations are 100% tax deductible.               

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