Virginia Lee Banker

She grew up in the California San Juaquin Valley where her dad was the ranch foreman on the Kerney Ranch, seven miles west of Fresno. The ranch grounds and the Kerney Mansion, built in 1900, are now part of Kerney Park and operated by the Fresno Historical Society. Although life was hard during The Great Depression, Virginia enjoyed the freedom and simple life on the ranch as the youngest of five siblings. When she was 12 years old, Virginia, her mother and father drove into town to enjoy some ice cream. During the journey, their automobile was involved in a terrible car accident. Her dad died immediately, and Virginia suffered injuries to her legs. Her mother was affected by the loss of her husband and an aunt, Dakota (“Kato”) Rose Burnette and one of her sisters (Marie Sharrah) stepped in and took over the responsibility for raising Virginia. She went on to graduate from Fresno High School and took business classes at Fresno College (now known as California State University, Fresno).

After meeting “the love of her life” at age 21, Virginia married Harold (“Hal”) Berg Shaffer on September 4, 1943, in Fresno. Hal had enlisted in the Air Corps in 1940 in Salt Lake City, Utah as a Technical Sergeant (Chief Control Tower Operator) and was stationed in southern California at the time. Virginia and Hal were later transferred to Columbia, South Carolina where he continued to serve until 1945 when he received an honorable discharge for medical reasons. They were relocated to his birth home of Salt Lake City, Utah and soon thereafter returned to live in Fresno. Virginia worked in retail for Roos Brothers and Hal worked in a senior administrative role for a large winery. Upon applying for and accepting a position with Shell Oil Company, they moved again to Sacramento, California. Virginia accepted an administrative position with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E).

While living in Sacramento and after 14 years of marriage, Virginia and Hal welcomed the birth of their only child, Charles Bruce Shaffer. In 1961, they were transferred with Shell to the San Francisco Bay Area (Belmont) where Hal worked in Menlo Park as a pioneer in the establishment of IT computing by co-leading the installation of the first IBM mainframe computer for Shell Oil Company. Hal, Virginia and Bruce enjoyed living in the Bay Area with frequent trips into “the city” (San Francisco), the beach, the mountains, visiting relatives in Fresno, drives along Highway 1 and annual trips to southern California theme parks. In 1973, a decision was made to close Shell’s Menlo Park office and the Shaffer’s were transferred to Houston. Hal continued to work for Shell in their global data center in Houston and Virginia re-entered the workforce and went back to her roots in retail with Foley’s Department Stores. She had regular, frequently traveling customers from the Memorial area who were loyal to her because of the excellent service and care she provided. She was the top luggage salesperson in the company. Her vendors often gifted her with recognition including trips to their headquarters to meet with sales and marketing staff and she was awarded several times with fine luggage and Lenox china. Hal passed away suddenly of a heart attack in December 1980 at the age of 61. At the time, Bruce was away at college and came home temporarily to help Virginia with arrangements and planning for the future. Virginia went back to work after a relatively short period of time and continued her career with Foley’s. Bruce graduated from Texas A&M University in 1981 and was married to Susan Carpenter in 1982.

With fond memories and a love for northern California, Virginia bought a beautiful town home in Pacific Grove, California and moved there on her own. An Airforce buddy of Hal’s who was retired and a widower would travel from his home in New Jersey to Monterrey, California to visit one of his sons. David (Banker) and Virginia started meeting and renewing their acquaintance when he visited California. Before long, David proposed, and they were married in May 1989. Virginia was 67 and David was 70 at the time. They both joined the First United Methodist Church in Pacific Grove. They enjoyed living on the central California coast and traveled extensively in the U.S. and Western Europe. David suffered from several ailments including arthritis and the cool, damp foggy days on the coast played havoc with his joints. They decided to relocate to a drier, warmer climate. Virginia sold their home and purchased another in Peoria, Arizona outside Phoenix. Virginia and David continued to enjoy each other’s companionship, traveling, visiting with several of her nieces and nephews who lived nearby and traveling to Katy, Texas where Bruce, Susan and their growing family lived. David passed away in December 2001 after a brief illness.

Virginia sold her home in Peoria, purchased another in Katy and relocated again to live closer to Bruce and her five grandchildren. She also lived near her great nephew, Lane Sharrah, his wife Michelle and their two sons, Cole and Connor. The Sharrah’s included Virgina and in many family celebrations and activities over the years which she enjoyed. Virginia also spent more time with Bruce, Susan and their children than she had before returning to the Houston area. She continued to enjoy traveling and went with friends she had made when she worked for Foley’s to tour in Western Europe on more than one occasion.

In her later years, Virginia loved to admire her garden, play bingo, visit with friends, watch golf and Wheel of Fortune on TV. Bruce once asked her why she liked to watch golf so much. She said that she liked to see the beautiful golf courses, the trees and nature. It reminded her of living near the Pebble Beach course when she lived in Pacific Grove. She liked to follow and cheer on the greats and watch new champions, from Nicklaus to Mickelson and Woods). Virginia never owned a computer or mobile device.

As the youngest of five children, Virginia had a large family to love and connect with over her 101 years of life. Although her siblings and several nephews passed away years before, she enjoyed and stayed in contact with her other nephews, nieces, greats and their families including Diane Jones, Earl Sharrah Jr., Jeff Sharrah, Brenda Sharrah DeLawyer, Lowell Sharrah and their families. Many thanks to Michelle and Lane Sharrah (great nephew) and their boys, Cole and Conner who lived nearby in Katy and played a special and gracious role in Virginia’s life until her final day.

Bruce, Susan and their children would like to especially thank Tammy Taylor and Pat Brown, Daniel Schramm and the team at Anchor Hospice, Amy Syptak and the team at Right-at-Home for the care and compassion they showed Virginia in her final years here on earth. And many thanks to her neighbors including Barbara Sykora, Mary Ann Wingfield and Becky Surotchak for their kindness and friendship. She also enjoyed and was grateful for her close, special relationships with her hairdresser, Devynne Diaz, and housekeepers Carmen Lopez and her team.

Virginia is survived by Charles Bruce Shaffer (son) and Susan C. Shaffer (daughter-in-law) of New Braunfels, Texas, her grandchildren Christina Kay Arriola (New Braunfels, TX), Caroline Ruth Shaffer (New Braunfels, TX), Kathleen Grace Shaffer (Houston, TX), William Charles Shaffer (Houston, TX) and his wife Lexy, Andrew Joseph Shaffer (New York, New York) and great-grandchild Molly Kay Arriola (New Braunfels, TX) and her four-legged love, Bella.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Minnie Brooks Sharrah and Charles Sharrah, her siblings Marie Swift, Mildred Foin, Earl Sharrah and Ira Sharrah, her husbands, Harold Berg Shaffer and David K. Banker, her nephews, Logan Sharrah and Dale Sharrah and, recently, her granddaughter Christina’s husband, Ryan Arriola.

Virginia also loved, cared for and outlived a number of four-legged friends including Duffy, Pepe, My Toy, Teddy 1 and 2.

Family and friends are invited to attend a service at Forest Park Westheimer Funeral Home, 12800 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77077 on Thursday, August 17th at 2 p.m. Visitation with the family will begin at 1:30. Interment to follow at the Forest Park Westheimer cemetery at 3 p.m.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.forestparkwestheimer.com for the Shaffer and Banker families.