Richard Shoemaker

Always giving, never asking back, he required little but gave so much. Our Papaw was so grateful for everything God had given him. You could say he was a simple man with a simple kind of love to give, and it was the best. He brought us sunshine when there was rain. He made us smile, he made us laugh, he gave the best hugs and kissed our cheeks, he gave us handfuls of candy and he loved us all, unconditionally. We all looked up to him and we loved him endlessly. There can only be words of admiration and deep affection for a grandfather as special as ours was. His beautiful smile was so infectious, you couldn't’t help but smile back. The sincerity and selflessness with which he spoke comforted us in a way unlike any other. He was so generous with his time where we were concerned, always giving his undivided attention when we had something to say. He had such a precious spirit about him and was so dear to his family. There is not a day that goes by that he is not thought of and remembered but we take comfort knowing he is happy now and is watching over us, smiling at us just like always. We are permanently affected by this precious man. His sweet face is forever etched in our mind. We remember the man that lived every second of every day for God. As the husband, the father of four, the grandfather to seven, the great grandfather to twelve and the head of our family for over 60 years, he is sorely missed. We were so blessed to have him as long as we did but selfishly we wanted more. He loved us all so much and he knew how much we loved him. This book is not only to show others how special our Papaw was but to remind us of how fortunate we were to have him as our grandfather and to never forget the impact he had not only on our lives but our children’s lives as well. He gave us nothing but love, always unconditional, never wanting anything in return. Our lives are forever changed just because he was in it.

      Richard Shoemaker, son of William and Essie, was born on July 10, 1931 in little mill house in China Grove, North Carolina. He had 6 siblings and Papaw fit somewhere in the middle. He attended China Grove School left after the 8th grade to start working, which was common in that time. During his teen years he and a friend had their own business cutting trees and by his early twenties he had met our grandmother, Barbara McDaniel. On August 7th, 1953, they drove all the way to York, South Carolina to get married at the courthouse. There were four children, Daryl, Ricky, Debra, and Eric, and he loved them each so dearly. They miss the games of pool and horseshoe, the local fishing trips with him, going out to eat at their favorite places together, taking him on short trips, or just grilling out, making sure Papaw’s food was burnt enough to suit his taste. His two son in laws, Todd and Bo, he loved like his very own. He loved spending time with them anytime there was an opportunity. He also loved driving to Atlanta to see Eric and Michelle any chance he got. For over 32 years, he worked as a wire weaver for W. S. Tyler, where they made screens of all sizes for many different uses. Rock quarries used them to sort the different types of rock and gravel. They also made parts for NASA that were used in space shuttles! After he retired, he decided to take a part time job at Cracker Barrel and he worked for them as a host for 12 years and loved it. It was a perfect fit because he loved talking with the customers, seeing old friends or making new ones. He became well known around town for his time there. Papaw also loved to take short trips to fish off the pier of different Carolina Beaches or he'd take a drive up to see the mountains. There was no telling where he would show up because he went where his heart took him.

Now with seven grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren, the family that had started with just 2 had grown into a very large family. He loved us so much and he knew how to get a laugh out of all of us every time we were with him. He would hug us so tight it hurt and always had candy in his pocket to give us. Even our children have memories of the candy! He wouldn’t miss our birthdays if he could help it and he never missed a wedding. He waited right along with everyone else when a new baby was on the way, he just loved little babies. It was so special to see him do some of the same things with our children that he did with us.      

He lived off of Daugherty Road in China Grove in a house with a long driveway. They moved there in the early 80’s so it was the only home that most of the grandchildren had ever known them to have. We had a lot of good times there with him. Papaw took a lot of pride in his home and he was always doing something new to the house. When we asked him what he had been up to lately he’d just say ”Oh, just piddlin’ around the house” but there was always some new project. Almost every single year he had a garden. He grew the best tomatoes and cucumbers and always had a bag to share when he would visit. Most Sundays after church you could find him in his favorite chair reclined back watching the race. He was an avid sports fan, keeping up with racing, baseball and football. Nascar was his favorite sport to watch though he never really had a favorite driver, he just found the races to be very exciting. There were so many things he enjoyed throughout his life but it was his love of church that he will best be remembered by. He loved going to church on Sundays and it showed on his face. He was proud of the roles he filled in the church. He held the position as a Deacon at Charity Baptist Church for a long time as well as usher and greeter. Lots of people told us how much they would miss seeing his smiling face greet them on Sunday mornings. He didn’t meet a stranger, he would talk to most anyone and he made a lot of friends throughout his life that way. He volunteered his time helping those in need and was even awarded Volunteer of the month by his Pastor just mere months before his passing. There are many stories that could be written about his generosity and kindness and anyone he came in contact with could write one about him for sure. It was only during recent conversation did we learn that over 50 years ago he helped save a baby’s life. He had seen a lady running down her driveway toward the road screaming for help. Her baby wasn’t breathing and Papaw could see she was choking. He quickly pulled over and was able to clear her airway so she could breathe then drove them to the hospital. Then only a few years ago, he prayed over a young man lying in a field having been thrown from his car only a couple hundred feet from Papaw’s house. Papaw heard the crash and jumped in his car to go help if he could. When he found the young man, he knew it was only a matter of time but he stayed with him and held his hand so the young man wouldn’t be alone when he died. That is how precious our Papaw was, always giving himself to others. He never wanted any attention for the things he did for others. He was the best example of what it means to be a Christian and live your life serving God.

     Our Papaw had a heart of gold. A heart so gentle and kind, so warm and loving, he couldn’t help but share it. He would talk about how good the Lord had been to him and what God had given him and blessed him with throughout his life. “Hallelujah!” he would say along with “Praise the Lord!”. As the head of our family for 60 years, he always led us in prayer, giving thanks to the Lord and asking him to bless the food and to bless the ones who helped prepare it. He spoke with such conviction and sincerity, sometimes struggling to speak over his own raw emotions, it would bring tears to our eyes every time. He shared in all of our happy times and there were so many of them. We all have our own happy memories in which he was a part of and although there were hard times as well, he was there to share those too. He would show up in the pouring rain if he had to, not letting us suffer alone though our battles. He was there to support us, be a source of strength and wipe our tears away before wiping his own. He celebrated when we celebrated and cried when we cried. On May 7th, 2015, as his pastor prayed over him and his family surrounded him, holding his hand, just as Papaw had once done for someone else, he left this world to be with Jesus. “Hallelujah” was the last word he spoke before being called home. Papaw fought a hard battle from a very risky open heart surgery. Although he survived the surgery, he died from complications that stemmed from it. Aside from a health scare many years ago, he had lived most of his life in great health. He is survived by his wonderful wife, Barbara, of 60 years, his children and their spouses Daryl and Bo, Ricky, Debra and Todd, and Eric and Michelle, his grandchildren and their spouses, Chris and Jennifer, Amy, Courtney and Johnny, Leah and Nic, Miranda and Harold, Mandi and Kendall, and Lauren and Michael. Also his great grandchildren Karson, Kayman, Cooper, Kennedy, Elle, Zaiden, Catie Jane, Kensley, Declan, Mallory, Taylyn and a new one on the way. Papaw brought joy to all of those around him. He was so full of love and he had so much love to give that his heart just grew tired after 83 precious years. He was a servant of God, a strong believer in his faith, and he taught us so much throughout our lives by just watching him live his. We miss him so much and we would selfishly keep him here if we could but he is with his Father up in heaven and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He was always an angel here on Earth but now he has wings and is set free. Someone once said, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”  This was a life well lived and we were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of something so rare and beautiful. We love you, Papaw, and we miss your smiling face. Thanks for all the memories, you gave us so many…

Love,

Your Grandchildren