Charles W. Shumway

Charles William Shumway, age 87, passed away on March 1, 2018 at his home in Ripley, WV. He is survived by his sister, Betty Atkinson of Parkersburg, WV, and his sister-in-law Dorothy Shumway of Somerset, Ohio. He is also survived by his daughters, Kathryn Wyer and Carla Saunders, and his favorite son-in-law, Larry Saunders, all of Ripley, WV. Charles was the proud grandfather of six grandchildren: Kevin (Sara) Wyer, Crystal Wyer, Eric Saunders, Matthew (Miranda) Saunders, Kari Saunders, and Megan (Brandon) Board, as well as five great-grandchildren: Nicolas Varner, Sydney, Alison, and Jenna Wyer, and Rowen Kay. Charles was preceded in death by his parents, William and Minnie (Heiney) Shumway, his brother, Joseph Shumway, and his brother-in-law, Robert Atkinson. Charles was born in Parkersburg, WV on September 27, 1930. He graduated from Parkersburg High School in 1947, and served in the U.S. Navy from 1951-1954. Charles often spoke fondly of his time in the military, which involved travel to a number of places such as Hawaii, Guam, and the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. He was an avid reader of WW II military history. He retired from Kaiser Aluminum, after 31 years of dedicated service. Charles only took one day off work during that entire time, and only then due to a medical emergency. He took great pride in his family, his work, his friends, and his community. After retirement, Charles took daily walks in the city park and unofficially took on the role of a security guard in his neighborhood, the city park, and the area around Ripley Elementary School. He was affectionately known at City Hall as ‘The Mayor of Third Avenue.’ His straightforward advice and sense of humor will be sorely missed by his friends and family. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Sunday, March 4, 2018, and the service will be held at 1:00 PM on Monday, March 5, 2018 at Waybright Funeral Home. Burial will be at Pine Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Ripley ‘Loves’ Tennis Campaign at gofundme.com/ripleylovestennis.com or at Ripley City Hall, and/or the Ronald McDonald House of Southern WV, Inc. at 910 Pennsylvania Avenue, Charleston, WV 25302.