George "Scott" Shearer

George Scott Shearer (63) passed away on Sunday, April 20, 2024, at the University of Virginia Hospital, following a brief but sudden illness. At the time of his death he was surrounded by many members of the loving family that meant so much to him in life. Born in Lynchburg Virginia on August 9, 1960 to the late Elliott and Joanne Shearer, he lived a life rich with the love of family and many friends as well as that of the innumerable pets he loved and cared deeply for throughout his life. A graduate of E.C. Glass High School, Scott went on to complete a program in ecology centered agriculture at the Sterling Institute in Craftsbury Common, Vermont. Their focus on environmental sustainability, ecology-based agriculture, and outdoor living skills was perfectly matched to Scott’s live and let live philosophy and love of the outdoors he demonstrated throughout his life. Ultimately, Scott purchased a small farm in Gladys Virginia, where he plied his many applicable skills and enjoyed countless hours and days in the peace and tranquility of his own little slice of paradise. Scott also had a lifelong love of, and talent for cooking. He later applied for and completed a culinary arts program at L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg MD. He gathered and honed what were already considerable gastronomic skills and enjoyed a remarkable internship at the Old Ebbitt Grill in Washington DC. There he met and conversed with such notable people as astronaut/senator John Glenn. Scott spent the lion’s share of his career in restaurants throughout Virginia but one of his greatest pleasures was cooking for family and friends. His skill for preparing classic southern comfort food was beyond compare and a treat for anyone fortunate enough to have him prepare it for them. While he enjoyed a variety of vocational pursuits many of Scott’s greatest pleasures were derived from his many hobbies and avocational endeavors. Like his wife, parents, brother, and countless relatives, he relished the pursuit of knowledge. While even he would admit that he struggled in school at times, he learned very early in life to develop effective strategies to overcome such difficulties and do things his own way. As such, he acquired and refined a plethora of practical skills and knowledge. He was an accomplished musician (He loved good music!), builder, carpenter, plumber, electrician, craftsman, and the list goes on….. Fundamentally, Scott was a thinker, tinkerer, and self styled inventor. He was a man with so many unique and practical ideas that there would not be enough time in any one lifespan to bring them all to fruition. However, that didn’t stop him from trying. He spent much of his free time devising and constructing countless projects designed to improve the lives and pleasures of, not only himself but, his family and others. His wife, Angie, recalls with fondness and humor his habit of assigning numbers to and describing the multitude of creative ideas that constantly flowed through his ever-active mind. More than his fondness for any career or avocation, however, his greatest affection was for human interaction. Scott was a “people person”. He loved people and people loved him. He had a smile and a hearty laugh as big and infectious as anyone could imagine. Those who knew him know this without exception. He thrived on engagement with people from all walks of life and was genuinely caring and interested in any topic of conversation. Furthermore, Scott was generous to a fault, driven to help people in any way that he could, giving freely of his own time and resources to contribute to the well-being of everyone he knew. In keeping with such generosity, he was also as forgiving as he was generous. He lived and preached the philosophy of taking the high road and abiding by The Golden Rule. He was never known to speak ill of others or to treat them with malice, but rather to encourage the consideration of particular circumstances in another’s life in an effort to understand and forgive those who didn’t necessarily abide by these same guiding principles. While Scott held a deep and abiding faith, fostered by his upbringing, his mother, and his wife Angie, he was not overtly religious. It would be more accurate to say that, in keeping with the teachings of Jesus, love was his religion. No creature on Earth was without his unconditional love. This was always evident in the deep affection and respect he held for his family, all of his many friends, the multitude of pets he had in his lifetime, and the entirety of humanity and nature at large. If you were ever fortunate enough to have received one of Scott’s famous hugs you would know that this is where his love shone most brightly. It was the quintessential “bear hug”. When he hugged you it was a full-on hug that made you feel not only loved but, at the same time, completely surrounded by comfort, caring, safety, and peace. You did not exit that hug without thinking, if not expressing aloud, “wow, that was really good!”. You could feel the love in his embrace. Scott, and his hugs, will be deeply missed and forever loved by all of those who knew him and remain on earth and cherished by those he now joins in Heaven. Scott was predeceased by his parents Elliott and Joanne (Jo) Shearer of Lynchburg. He is survived by his loving and adoring wife Angela (Angie), five children; Clayton Shearer and his wife Page (Charlottesville), Chelsea Shearer (Lynchburg), Dillon Shearer (Charlottesville), Ryan Irby (Richmond) and Katherine “Kit-Kat” Chambers (Lynchburg). He is also survived by one brother; Lee Shearer, his wife Mary (Lynchburg) and their three children; Justin Shearer, his wife Anna and their three children (Connecticut). Lauren Harkness, her husband Eric and their three children (Arlington), and Daniel Shearer, his wife Courtney and their two children (Richmond). This is in addition to countless in-laws, cousins, an aunt, nieces, nephews, and many-many good friends. Scott will be sorely missed by all of us and all who knew him at all. We will strive to honor him, and the life he led, in the manner in which we live our own lives, going forward with him in our hearts forever. A celebration of Scott’s life is planned for a future date.