U.S. Veteran

Roy A. Shaver, 87, of Platteville, Wisconsin, died at Southwest Health Center on Dec 1, 2018. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 8, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the Platteville United Methodist Church. Rev. Brenda Whitford will officiate. Chapel Military Rites will be accorded by American Legion Post #42 and VFW Post #5274. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery, Platteville. Friends may call from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 7, 2018 at the Melby Funeral Home & Crematory, Platteville, or from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service on Saturday at the church. Memorials may be given to Grant County Hospice, the Roy & Ethel Shaver Endowed Scholarship (via UWP Foundation), or to BadgerFlight. Online condolences may be made at www.melbyfh.com.

Roy was born on Aug. 4, 1931, in Rushville, Illinois to farmers Dwight and Gertrude Swanson Shaver. He was united in marriage to Ethel Peterson in Virginia, IL on Aug. 9, 1959. She preceded him in death in 1995.

Roy attended a one room country school for eight years, followed by four years at Rushville High School, graduating in 1949. From 1949-53, he attended Western Illinois University majoring in chemistry. Following graduation in 1953, he then served two years in the Army Anti-aircraft Artillery, mostly at Ft. Wadsworth, NY in the defense of New York City during the Cold War. He was separated from service in 1955, returning to Western Illinois to work on the masters that he obtained in 1956. He was then employed as an instructor at Wisconsin Institute of Technology (Mining School) in Platteville, Wisconsin. WIT merged with the State Teachers College in 1959 and became the University of Wisconsin - Platteville. He retired in 1991 with 35 years of teaching experience and traveled widely with his wife until her death in 1995.

He enjoyed many hobbies including flying, teaching ground school, teaching AARP Senior Driving courses, radiological monitoring during the cold war, writing, motorcycling, and ham radio. He also taught Sunday school, went on many Volunteer-in-Mission short-term work camps, and had twenty-five years as a scouter with Boy Scouts of America, serving in a variety of positions. He was involved in the civil defense initiative for 25 years, primarily as an instructor of radio logical monitoring. He was once chief ground instructor for an aviation school.

Roy is survived by his sister, Ruth Phillips (Marvin) of Rushville, IL; and special friend, Cecile Hoffman of Platteville; sons, William of Somerville, MA; James (Kathy) of Mims, FL, and their children Zachary and Kari; and Thomas (Ting) of Marion, IA and their daughter, Jiajing. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ethel, parents, and brothers, Gene, Harold and John Shaver.

Roy Shaver

August 04, 1931 - December 01, 2018

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