Son of Benjamin Cowan Shields, Sr. and Emily Stoddard Butler Shields Wilson. Husband of Gloria Aleen East Shields. TSgt, US Air Force. Best Daddy & Pop Pop in the world :)
His parents separated when he was a young boy and he was raised in Richmond, VA by his maternal grandparents, Annie and Ira Butler. He enlisted in the Navy as a teenager, later enlisted in the Air Force. During all of his military career, he had part of his paycheck sent to his beloved grandmother to help take care of her. He did this until she passed away in 1965.
He married 1) Mildred Estelle Faust in South Carolina & they divorced soon after.
He married 2) Gloria Aleen East on 1 Sep 1956 in Roanoke, VA. They had 2 children and were happily married until she died of cancer in 1984. We were all by her side when she passed away and his last words to her were thanking her for being his wife for 27 years and telling her he loved her.
After Aleen died, he would take his grandson to Sunday school and go to a nearby McDonalds to sip coffee and read the paper until Sunday school was over. After a while, he noticed that he was seeing a single pretty lady in there, also sipping coffee, quite often. At first they made small talk, then began having coffee together. They had a lot in common, including they were both Christians, both had 2 children (son and daughter) and both had lost their long time spouses to cancer. This relationship eventually blossomed and he married 3) Ora Jean Brunk on 14 Jun 1985 in Colonial Heights. The 2 new lovebirds didn't want any "wedding fuss" and they up & eloped without telling anyone (btw daddy & Jean, good call because if Betty & I had known beforehand, we would have gone overboard & loved every minute of it lol!). Pretty quickly too, they were going to go out one day & when they were deciding what to do, he said "how about we go get married?" and after realizing he was serious, she agreed. They called "us kids" that night to tell us. It was so sweet & I will never forget how happy I was for them! She was such a lovely and sweet woman - they both deserved another chance at love. And they got it, they were happily married until he died in 2005, at his home, with his wife, daughter, step-daughter, and many of his grandchildren and step-grandchildren at his side.
It has taken me until 2013 to write this short bio for his memorial, only because his loss is still felt so much by all of his family. I am so very fortunate to have had such a wonderful man as my father and not a single day has passed that I do not think of him, thankfully with good and loving memories.
(~~ sassytazzy)
My brother wrote this obituary for the newspaper when daddy crossed over:
We celebrate the life of Ret. TSgt. Benjamin Cowan Shields, USAF. Mr. Shields was also a retired Philip Morris employee. He peacefully ended his journey on Earth at age 78, on September 21, 2005, and is now walking with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is survived by his devoted wife of 20 years, Jean Brunk Shields; daughters, Susan Shields Sasek and her husband, Dean, Betty Brunk McAllister and her husband, Buddy; sons, Steven Scott Shields, Alfred Stephen Brunk and his wife, Vickie; grandchildren, Christy, Jason, Holly, Cindy, Kathi, Lindsey, Joseph, Kristen, D.J., and Sarah, all of Chesterfield. He is also survived by many loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends, and others whose relationships he cherished. He was a faithful Christian and a member of Walmsley United Methodist Church, and was a loyal husband, father, Pop Pop, and friend. His remains rest at the Bliley Funeral Homes' Chippenham Chapel, 6900 Hull Street Rd., where family and friends will gather on Friday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., and where funeral services will be held, 2 p.m. Saturday. Interment to follow in Dale Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the American Lung Association.
(~~ Steven Scott Shields)
His parents separated when he was a young boy and he was raised in Richmond, VA by his maternal grandparents, Annie and Ira Butler. He enlisted in the Navy as a teenager, later enlisted in the Air Force. During all of his military career, he had part of his paycheck sent to his beloved grandmother to help take care of her. He did this until she passed away in 1965.
He married 1) Mildred Estelle Faust in South Carolina & they divorced soon after.
He married 2) Gloria Aleen East on 1 Sep 1956 in Roanoke, VA. They had 2 children and were happily married until she died of cancer in 1984. We were all by her side when she passed away and his last words to her were thanking her for being his wife for 27 years and telling her he loved her.
After Aleen died, he would take his grandson to Sunday school and go to a nearby McDonalds to sip coffee and read the paper until Sunday school was over. After a while, he noticed that he was seeing a single pretty lady in there, also sipping coffee, quite often. At first they made small talk, then began having coffee together. They had a lot in common, including they were both Christians, both had 2 children (son and daughter) and both had lost their long time spouses to cancer. This relationship eventually blossomed and he married 3) Ora Jean Brunk on 14 Jun 1985 in Colonial Heights. The 2 new lovebirds didn't want any "wedding fuss" and they up & eloped without telling anyone (btw daddy & Jean, good call because if Betty & I had known beforehand, we would have gone overboard & loved every minute of it lol!). Pretty quickly too, they were going to go out one day & when they were deciding what to do, he said "how about we go get married?" and after realizing he was serious, she agreed. They called "us kids" that night to tell us. It was so sweet & I will never forget how happy I was for them! She was such a lovely and sweet woman - they both deserved another chance at love. And they got it, they were happily married until he died in 2005, at his home, with his wife, daughter, step-daughter, and many of his grandchildren and step-grandchildren at his side.
It has taken me until 2013 to write this short bio for his memorial, only because his loss is still felt so much by all of his family. I am so very fortunate to have had such a wonderful man as my father and not a single day has passed that I do not think of him, thankfully with good and loving memories.
(~~ sassytazzy)
My brother wrote this obituary for the newspaper when daddy crossed over:
We celebrate the life of Ret. TSgt. Benjamin Cowan Shields, USAF. Mr. Shields was also a retired Philip Morris employee. He peacefully ended his journey on Earth at age 78, on September 21, 2005, and is now walking with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is survived by his devoted wife of 20 years, Jean Brunk Shields; daughters, Susan Shields Sasek and her husband, Dean, Betty Brunk McAllister and her husband, Buddy; sons, Steven Scott Shields, Alfred Stephen Brunk and his wife, Vickie; grandchildren, Christy, Jason, Holly, Cindy, Kathi, Lindsey, Joseph, Kristen, D.J., and Sarah, all of Chesterfield. He is also survived by many loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends, and others whose relationships he cherished. He was a faithful Christian and a member of Walmsley United Methodist Church, and was a loyal husband, father, Pop Pop, and friend. His remains rest at the Bliley Funeral Homes' Chippenham Chapel, 6900 Hull Street Rd., where family and friends will gather on Friday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., and where funeral services will be held, 2 p.m. Saturday. Interment to follow in Dale Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the American Lung Association.
(~~ Steven Scott Shields)
Son of Benjamin Cowan Shields, Sr. and Emily Stoddard Butler Shields Wilson. Husband of Gloria Aleen East Shields. TSgt, US Air Force. Best Daddy & Pop Pop in the world :)
His parents separated when he was a young boy and he was raised in Richmond, VA by his maternal grandparents, Annie and Ira Butler. He enlisted in the Navy as a teenager, later enlisted in the Air Force. During all of his military career, he had part of his paycheck sent to his beloved grandmother to help take care of her. He did this until she passed away in 1965.
He married 1) Mildred Estelle Faust in South Carolina & they divorced soon after.
He married 2) Gloria Aleen East on 1 Sep 1956 in Roanoke, VA. They had 2 children and were happily married until she died of cancer in 1984. We were all by her side when she passed away and his last words to her were thanking her for being his wife for 27 years and telling her he loved her.
After Aleen died, he would take his grandson to Sunday school and go to a nearby McDonalds to sip coffee and read the paper until Sunday school was over. After a while, he noticed that he was seeing a single pretty lady in there, also sipping coffee, quite often. At first they made small talk, then began having coffee together. They had a lot in common, including they were both Christians, both had 2 children (son and daughter) and both had lost their long time spouses to cancer. This relationship eventually blossomed and he married 3) Ora Jean Brunk on 14 Jun 1985 in Colonial Heights. The 2 new lovebirds didn't want any "wedding fuss" and they up & eloped without telling anyone (btw daddy & Jean, good call because if Betty & I had known beforehand, we would have gone overboard & loved every minute of it lol!). Pretty quickly too, they were going to go out one day & when they were deciding what to do, he said "how about we go get married?" and after realizing he was serious, she agreed. They called "us kids" that night to tell us. It was so sweet & I will never forget how happy I was for them! She was such a lovely and sweet woman - they both deserved another chance at love. And they got it, they were happily married until he died in 2005, at his home, with his wife, daughter, step-daughter, and many of his grandchildren and step-grandchildren at his side.
It has taken me until 2013 to write this short bio for his memorial, only because his loss is still felt so much by all of his family. I am so very fortunate to have had such a wonderful man as my father and not a single day has passed that I do not think of him, thankfully with good and loving memories.
(~~ sassytazzy)
My brother wrote this obituary for the newspaper when daddy crossed over:
We celebrate the life of Ret. TSgt. Benjamin Cowan Shields, USAF. Mr. Shields was also a retired Philip Morris employee. He peacefully ended his journey on Earth at age 78, on September 21, 2005, and is now walking with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is survived by his devoted wife of 20 years, Jean Brunk Shields; daughters, Susan Shields Sasek and her husband, Dean, Betty Brunk McAllister and her husband, Buddy; sons, Steven Scott Shields, Alfred Stephen Brunk and his wife, Vickie; grandchildren, Christy, Jason, Holly, Cindy, Kathi, Lindsey, Joseph, Kristen, D.J., and Sarah, all of Chesterfield. He is also survived by many loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends, and others whose relationships he cherished. He was a faithful Christian and a member of Walmsley United Methodist Church, and was a loyal husband, father, Pop Pop, and friend. His remains rest at the Bliley Funeral Homes' Chippenham Chapel, 6900 Hull Street Rd., where family and friends will gather on Friday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., and where funeral services will be held, 2 p.m. Saturday. Interment to follow in Dale Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the American Lung Association.
(~~ Steven Scott Shields)
His parents separated when he was a young boy and he was raised in Richmond, VA by his maternal grandparents, Annie and Ira Butler. He enlisted in the Navy as a teenager, later enlisted in the Air Force. During all of his military career, he had part of his paycheck sent to his beloved grandmother to help take care of her. He did this until she passed away in 1965.
He married 1) Mildred Estelle Faust in South Carolina & they divorced soon after.
He married 2) Gloria Aleen East on 1 Sep 1956 in Roanoke, VA. They had 2 children and were happily married until she died of cancer in 1984. We were all by her side when she passed away and his last words to her were thanking her for being his wife for 27 years and telling her he loved her.
After Aleen died, he would take his grandson to Sunday school and go to a nearby McDonalds to sip coffee and read the paper until Sunday school was over. After a while, he noticed that he was seeing a single pretty lady in there, also sipping coffee, quite often. At first they made small talk, then began having coffee together. They had a lot in common, including they were both Christians, both had 2 children (son and daughter) and both had lost their long time spouses to cancer. This relationship eventually blossomed and he married 3) Ora Jean Brunk on 14 Jun 1985 in Colonial Heights. The 2 new lovebirds didn't want any "wedding fuss" and they up & eloped without telling anyone (btw daddy & Jean, good call because if Betty & I had known beforehand, we would have gone overboard & loved every minute of it lol!). Pretty quickly too, they were going to go out one day & when they were deciding what to do, he said "how about we go get married?" and after realizing he was serious, she agreed. They called "us kids" that night to tell us. It was so sweet & I will never forget how happy I was for them! She was such a lovely and sweet woman - they both deserved another chance at love. And they got it, they were happily married until he died in 2005, at his home, with his wife, daughter, step-daughter, and many of his grandchildren and step-grandchildren at his side.
It has taken me until 2013 to write this short bio for his memorial, only because his loss is still felt so much by all of his family. I am so very fortunate to have had such a wonderful man as my father and not a single day has passed that I do not think of him, thankfully with good and loving memories.
(~~ sassytazzy)
My brother wrote this obituary for the newspaper when daddy crossed over:
We celebrate the life of Ret. TSgt. Benjamin Cowan Shields, USAF. Mr. Shields was also a retired Philip Morris employee. He peacefully ended his journey on Earth at age 78, on September 21, 2005, and is now walking with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is survived by his devoted wife of 20 years, Jean Brunk Shields; daughters, Susan Shields Sasek and her husband, Dean, Betty Brunk McAllister and her husband, Buddy; sons, Steven Scott Shields, Alfred Stephen Brunk and his wife, Vickie; grandchildren, Christy, Jason, Holly, Cindy, Kathi, Lindsey, Joseph, Kristen, D.J., and Sarah, all of Chesterfield. He is also survived by many loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends, and others whose relationships he cherished. He was a faithful Christian and a member of Walmsley United Methodist Church, and was a loyal husband, father, Pop Pop, and friend. His remains rest at the Bliley Funeral Homes' Chippenham Chapel, 6900 Hull Street Rd., where family and friends will gather on Friday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., and where funeral services will be held, 2 p.m. Saturday. Interment to follow in Dale Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the American Lung Association.
(~~ Steven Scott Shields)
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