Sydney Lynn Shumate

Sydney Lynn Shumate of Cabot, age 16, met her Lord and Savior on October 31, 2015. She was born in Little Rock, Arkansas to father, Spencer Shumate, and parents, Chrissy and Nick Dougherty. Sydney bounced her way into this world with a heart of love and an infectious smile on February 14, 1999. She was our sweetheart! From a young age, she had a tender spirit, always thinking of others before herself. Sydney's sassy force of nature gave her the strength and the poise to share God's love with those around her. She was always so comfortable in her own skin, never meeting a stranger – young or old. She loved to talk, she loved to laugh, and she loved to share. Sydney had an old soul – she loved hard, she worked hard, and she embraced life to its fullest. Like a portrait of her life, Sydney danced cheerfully from class to class, sharing a kind word to encourage, giving random hugs to inspire confidence, listening patiently to offer support. Down the halls and through the classrooms, Sydney's joyful laughter could be heard, eliciting smiles from among her peers and teachers. Sydney was a great friend to many, and the impact she made upon others will continue to influence. Sydney had an adventurous love of life, participating in many adventures in the great outdoors with family and friends. She was a beloved student, a junior at Cabot High School. She was a cheerleader for the Cabot Panthers and had participated in competitive cheer. She worked at Cabot Gymnastics. Sydney was the Student Director for the theater department and loved all the people associated with it. She was involved in many extra-curricular activities, one of her favorites being the Crown Club, for she loved interacting and serving others. Sydney loved her family endlessly. She adored her little brother, Dylan and had just shared that she was very proud of the young man that he had become and how handsome he was. She doted on her little sister, Skyleigh, for she was her little princess. Sydney was a member of New Life Church in Cabot where she was deeply involved in the youth program. Philippians 1:21 defines both her passion for the Lord and her eternal hope: "For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better." Sydney is survived by her mother and father, Chrissy and Nick Dougherty of Cabot; father, Spencer Shumate of Denver; brother, Dylan Shumate and sister, Skyleigh Dougherty of Cabot; grandparents, Buck and Sherry Metoyer of Memphis, Dan and Linda Shumate, Cathy Dougherty, and Mike Stevens all of Cabot; Uncles, Scott Shumate (Viri) of Houston and Stuart Shumate of Cabot; Aunt, Mindy West (Heath) of Cabot; cousins, Lexi West, Hudson West, and Gracee West all of Cabot. Preceded in death by her uncle, Tony Sumler; grandparent, Butch Dougherty; great grandparents, Ted Lobley, Lynda Chinn, and Sadie Shumate. Sydney's beautiful smile will carry forward if you use your time to volunteer to worthy causes, such as the Open Arms Shelter; moreover, pause daily and reach out to those who are hurting or in need – even if it's just a simple Hello, a warm embrace, or a "Sydney Smile." A celebration of her life will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday at New Life Church in Cabot. Visitation will be held at Moore's Cabot Funeral Home on Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Arrangements are under the direction of Moore's Cabot Funeral Home (501) 843-5816. Please sign the online guestbook at www.moorescabotfuneralhome.com.