John Willard Shumate

John W. Shumate, age 87, of Williamsburg, VA, passed away on March, 15, 2021. He was son of Ernest and Blanche Shumate, formerly of Newport News, VA. He is survived by his wife, Martha Jean Shumate; daughter, Karen of Yorktown; sons, Mark of Richmond, Maine, David of Kearneysville, WV, and Daniel of South Orange, NJ; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Both John and Martha Jean are natives of Hampton, VA, where John played football and baseball for the Hampton High School Crabbers. He attended the College of William and Mary and graduated in the class of 1956. Shortly after graduation, he and Martha Jean were married, and their honeymoon consisted of a “southern trip” to Fort Bennington, GA, for John to attend the Infantry Officer’s School. His next assignment was at Ft. Jackson, SC, where he was the Commander of a Basic Training Company. Following his discharge, he and Martha Jean moved to WV to begin a 37-year career with Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company (now Verizon). Over the years, John was transferred seven times as he worked in different departments. For his last eight years, he was the Director of Customer Service for the Mountain State.

After retiring, in 1994, he and Martha Jean moved back to Williamsburg. A few months later, John accepted consulting positions with Verizon International in Prague, Czech Republic, and then later with the Puerto Rican Telephone Company the following year.

They then “really retired” in Williamsburg and became active in the community. John was an Elder in the Williamsburg Presbyterian Church and served as the Co-Chairman of the Stewardship Drive. He also served on the Committee that raised funds to build a new sanctuary. John has been involved in a number of activities in Ford’s Colony, serving as President of the Men’s Golf Association, and Coordinator for the William and Mary Fan Club. For the last two years, John has resided in Edgeworth Park’s Memory Care Unit. The family wishes to thank all the staff at Edgeworth and hospice for their care.

A celebration of John’s life will be held later in private with family only. Cremation by Nelsen Funeral Home in Williamsburg. Online condolences may be shared at www.nelsenwilliamsburg.com.