Cary Shaner

Berks County lost an enthusiastic and creative teacher when, on June 29, 2022, Cary Shaner, 52-year resident of West Lawn, left us to begin another

project. He was 85. Cary was born to Leon and Ruth Shaner in Cedarville, Chester County, where he was raised in the family’s rural general store. For 4 years he attended a one-room school and graduated from North Coventry High School, now Owen J Roberts. Following an initial

crash at Penn State, he transferred to Juniata College, earning an AB in education, majoring in History with an English minor. Immediately, he began teaching at Conrad Weiser High School. He taught for 33 years, assisting with music, drama, track, and numerous voluntary in and out of school events. Virtually any subject was fair game for discussion in Shaner’s classes for the emotions in poetry and prose confront life’s complexities. He loved to push the envelope and frequently was called to the office

to explain varied activities. The students realized his dedication, and every year was voted class marshal by the seniors.

Cary died in the 55th year of his marriage to Linda. They have two children, Mark who lives in Ambridge, and Kelly, married to Sam Shumaker, who lives in Quarryville, Lancaster County. Cary was blessed with two grandchildren, Kate, who shared his love for music and theater, and Ben, fisherman extraordinaire.

Cary had many talents and was good with people. He read constantly, both scholarly and popular writing. His writing skills caused organizations to utilize him as secretary, Lebanon Valley Sportsman and Clover Park for two. Local history and tradition were evidenced in the formation of the German Regiment, a revolutionary reenactment unit that was acclaimed for bicentennial activities and was invited numerous times to Colonial Williamsburg (the Super Bowl of reenacting). Following his regretted retirement from teaching, he was employed by the

Lancaster Planning Commission as a “scholastic consultant” to put environmental programs on grade level and to promote eco-awareness in the Lancaster schools. He visited every school district in Lancaster County. A character, Jacob Schoener, who drove a Conestoga wagon from Philadelphia to Lancaster, was developed through these programs. In addition to Schoener, William Penn, Pickel Herring, an entertainer from 1750, and Spotted Dick, a pirate, were also developed. These characters have appeared at Colonial Williamsburg, the Pennsylvania Farm Show, the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, et al., and from Mexico City to Louisburg in Nova Scotia.

He seemed to make new friends wherever he went and kept old ones near, carrying on written correspondence with over 30 ex-students, musicians, and historians, always typing and hand addressing the envelopes. He hated the cyber world for depersonalizing relationships and for easing research and dulling brains. He never understood computers and didn’t want to.

He loved to hunt but wasn’t a hunter, to fish but wasn’t an angler. He made antique tavern signs, wrote letters to the editor, engraved powder horns, went yearly with the guys to OBX, was no good at Texas Holdem but loved to play, wrote poetry & song lyrics, respected the Sierra Club, tried to speak and sing in Pennsylvania Dutch, worked the parking lot at Parrothead concerts as a pirate, worried about the future and his grandchildren’s place in it, played and sang Irish songs on St Pattys. A small statue of Don Quixote stood on his desk.

A true renaissance man, who affected the lives of many.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to St. Francis Home, a home for the terminally ill. 144 Hillside Drive, Reading, PA 19607, stfrancishomereading.org

Online condolences may be made to www. lammandwitman.com