Beverly Shaner Harper

Beverly Shaner Harper Beverly Shaner Harper, age 94, died on August 15, 2018 at Charlottesville Health & Rehab Center where she had resided since 2010. Beverly was born February 27, 1924 in Rosemont, West Virginia to the late Archie Stewart and Hazel Filer Stewart. She was predeceased by her brother, Robert J. Stewart, her step-father Arlie Swecker and her husbands Larry Shaner and later Dewey Harper. She is survived by her brother Dale Swecker and his wife Amy of Ellicott City, MD, her son Stewart Shaner and his wife Pat of Lititz, PA, her son Keith Shaner and his wife Teresa of Charlottesville, VA and her step-children Ione Truesdale and John Harper. She is also survived by grandchildren Matthew Shaner and his wife Meghan of Exton, PA and Ashley Stauffer and her husband Kevin of West Grove, PA. Also surviving are great-grandchildren Grace, Kort and Penny Shaner and Abbey and Jilly Stauffer, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Bev grew up in several small towns in rural western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, including Mather, PA, Elm Grove and Morgantown, WV and Cadiz and Shadyside, OH. Bev graduated from Cadiz Ohio High School in 1942. Upon the death of her step-father in 1944, she and her family moved to Frostburg, MD which was her mother’s ancestral home. She worked at the Celanese Corporation in Cumberland, MD and there she met her husband, Larry Shaner. They were married in 1946 and raised two sons in Frostburg until their move to Wilmington, DE in 1962. In 1967, she began a twenty-year career with the Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. There she met Dewey Harper and they were married in 1972. They resided in New Castle, DE until 2001. Dewey died in 2004 and Bev lived alternately in Charlottesville, VA and York, PA since 2001 Bev was a devoted daughter, sister, mother and grandmother. She was a devoted caretaker of her mother Hazel Swecker who had been Bev’s constant companion and source of strength. She was an excellent cook, a talented musician and lover of all things Frank Sinatra. The family would like to thank the staff of Charlottesville Health & Rehab for their care of Bev for the past eight years. Also appreciated was the care of Dr. David Chesler and Marijke Durieux. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her service on Monday, August 20, 2018 at 2pm at Gracelawn Memorial Park Chapel, 2220 N. DuPont Hwy, New Castle, DE, 19720. Friends may call at the Chapel from 1 to 2PM. Interment will follow the Service.