Dr. Thomas Dean Shockney

Tom was born February 10, 1934, in Randolph County, Indiana, the son of David H. Shockney and Reba Lucille (Odle) Shockney, along with his older brother Richard Shockney. He was born in the family farmhouse he grew up in, Tom contracted polio as a young man and would live with its lasting effects, eventually walking with crutches, for the rest of his life — without it ever slowing the pace he set for himself.

Tom began his teaching career in 1956 at Van Del High School in Van Wert, Ohio, teaching business subjects and serving as yearbook advisor and baseball coach. In 1960 he moved to Talawanda High School in Oxford, Ohio, as Coordinator of Business Education, while also teaching Business Education at Miami University, directing audio-visual aids, and coaching tennis. In 1964 he joined Ashland College — later Ashland University — as Associate Professor of Business, beginning a career there that spanned more than 35 years. He went on to serve as Assistant to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and ultimately as Professor of Business Administration and Chairman of the Business Administration Department, as well as College Supervisor of Student Teachers.

Among the achievements Tom was proudest of, in his own words: he developed a degree program inside the Mansfield Reformatory, giving incarcerated students access to higher education — the program grew from 40 full-time students to more than 100 during his time leading it. He also founded an English Language Institute at Ashland to teach international students, which served 80 students from six different countries over two years. He built the college's two-year Associate of Arts business program and its Hotel and Restaurant Management major from the ground up, wrote and executed grant proposals for faculty development, and hired roughly 35 faculty members over four years in his administrative role. He also helped design the curriculum for what became Ashland's MBA program. In the mid-1970s, when a heavy debt load and enrollment that had fallen from a planned 5,000 students to roughly 1,300 threatened the college financially, Tom was one of a small group of faculty who taught full course loads on campus by day and then drove to off-campus sites in towns like Medina and Strasburg to teach night classes two or three evenings a week — colleagues later credited that extra effort as a major reason the college weathered the crisis. A tribute written for his 25th anniversary at Ashland in 1989 described a man whose door was always open to students, faculty, and staff — who personally reviewed and signed over 400 student schedules by hand each fall registration — and who was, in his colleagues' words, courageous, unfailingly fair, and "an unparalleled friend to all."

He was part of the effort that brought accreditation to Ashland University's business administration programs, and was honored as a co-recipient of the Ellis Award for his teaching at Ashland.. He earned his B.S. and M.S. from Ball State University and his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 1971.

Tom married Deanna Roberta (Darrow) Shockney in 1969 at King Avenue United Methodist Church in Columbus; their son, Andrew, was born in 1972. Deanna passed away in 2006. Tom later married Jimmie L. (Vonville) Shockney, also at King Avenue United Methodist Church, in 2010, with Andrew and Robin serving as witnesses. Jimmie passed away in January 2026.

Tom is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Andy and Robin (Wentzel) Shockney of Gahanna, Ohio; and grandchildren Elizabeth Shockney (24) and Eric Shockney (20). He has many extended family including nephews, nieces, and in-laws who he enjoyed celebrating birthdays and holidays with in Indiana, Ohio, and Florida. He was a good and kind man who loved to laugh, and was a wonderful friend to so many. In his final years, Tom's days were anchored with visits from family, love of the Cincinnati Reds, and a good donut.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, October 3, 2026, at King Avenue United Methodist Church at 11:00 am, 299 King Ave, Columbus, OH 43201, with Pastor Karen Muntzing officiating. A graveside service will follow on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at Woodlawn Cemetery in Randolph County, Indiana at 1:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Dr. Thomas D. Shockney Memorial Fund at King Avenue United Methodist Church, 299 King Avenue, Columbus, OH 43201.

Arrangements by Schoedinger Northeast Chapel, 1051 E. Johnstown Road, Gahanna.