Fred Ross Shank II

Fred Ross Shank, II, born October 11, 1940 in Harrisonburg, VA, passed away on January 24, 2015 in Reston, VA. A graduate of Turner Ashby High School and the University of Kentucky, he received his PhD in Nutrition from the University of Maryland in 1969. After serving in the United States Air Force, he joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture before embarking on a distinguished 22-year career with the Food and Drug Administration. As Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition he led the development of policies and programs focused on consumer protection, including the implementation of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990, the most comprehensive food labeling legislation in U.S. History. Upon retiring from public service, he served as Vice President at the Institute of Food Technologists, promoting food science and developing solutions for the global food infrastructure. Concurrently, Fred was Owner and President of Shank Wholesalers, Inc, and Coldstream Farms of Harrisonburg and Mt. Crawford, VA., respectively. In retirement he was an avid fan of the Washington Nationals and Redskins, as well as his beloved Maryland Terrapins. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Peggy Shank, two children and their spouses, Virginia and Edward Conner, and Fred Ross Shank, III and Christopher Fisher. He was grandfather to Alison and Lauren Conner, and Aidan Fisher-Shank. A funeral service will be held Thursday, January 29, 1:00 pm at Lindsey Funeral Home in Harrisonburg, with Pastor Wayne Wright officiating. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to the Dr. Fred Ross Shank Memorial Endowment, which provides an annual scholarship for graduate students of University of Maryland's Department of Nutrition and Food Science. Checks should be payable to "University of Maryland College Park Foundation" with the memo line stating "Dr. Fred Ross Shank Memorial Endowment" and sent to Leslie Joyce, AGNR - Development Officer, University of Maryland, 1124 Symons Hall, College Park, MD 20742. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.lindseyharrisonburg.com.