Showalter, Leonard Shank (1929-2008)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2008 Apr 7 p. 9

Birth date: 1929 Mar 12

text of obituary:

LEONARD S. SHOWALTER

Leonard Shank Showalter, 78, of Waynesboro, Va., died Oct. 5, 2007. He was born March 12, 1929, to Ira S. and Edna Shank Showalter in Augusta County.

Since his birth he fought with congenital heart problems, which in later life resulted in three open-heart operations. One of them, in 1986, resulted in his contracting Hepatitis C through blood transfusions.

He graduated from Eastern Mennonite High School in 1946. After engaging in several occupations, he became an owner of Weaver Insurance Agency, where he worked for 35 years. Prior to his insurance career, he worked in sales at Lambert Manufacturing Corp., supervising delivery of building materials. Through 2003, he spent his retirement years delivering trucks up and down the East Coast for Special Fleet Services.

An active member of Springdale Mennonite Church, he served there in various capacities over his lifetimes. He enjoyed singing in quartets, choral singing and teaching Sunday school. Because of his health, he recently resigned after numerous years as a board member of the Virginia Auto Aid Plan in Harrisonburg. He was a past member of Stuarts Draft Ruritan Club.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Ann Marie Olesh Showalter; a daughter, Kay Weaver and her husband, M. Gregory, of Harrisonburg; a son, Brent R. Showalter and his wife, Melissa, of Harrisonburg; two sisters, Dorothy S. Shank of Myerstown, Pa., and Lois Herr of East Petersburg, Pa.; a sister-in-law, Elouise C. Showalter of Waynesboro; two brothers, W. Milton Showalter and Ralph L. Showalter, both of Waynesboro; and two granddaughters.

He was preceded in death by two sisters, Marjorie S. Shank and Shirley S. Minnich; and a brother, Winfred E. Showalter.

Memorial services were held at Springdale Mennonite Church.