Mr. Sherman Oliver Shay, Sr., 99, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, died at 7:13 a.m. on Friday, August 1, 2025, at the Nathan Adelson Hospice Home in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He was born on December 13, 1925, in Oneida, Illinois, to Ole and Maude Shay. He married the love of his life, Jane Shay, on March 23, 1946, in Long Beach, California. They were married for a remarkable 71 years.
Surviving is his daughter, Sheryl Ann (and Gary) Clayton of Lake Havasu; two grandchildren, Wendy (and John) Birtcher and Mark Clayton; two great-grandchildren, Johnny (and fiancé Tori) Birtcher and Kelsey (and Christian) Vangeison; and a great-great-grandchild, Tatum Vangeison. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jane Shay, on January 6, 2017; his son, Sherman Oliver Shay, Jr., on January 8, 2020; his parents; a brother, Edward Shay; and a sister, Helen Hicks.
Sherman excelled in several vocations throughout his life, including owning his own milk truck in Galesburg, Illinois, and a Taco Bell in Long Beach, California. He also built missiles and ran the war unit at Harvey Aluminum—later known as Aerojet Co.—in Long Beach, until retiring in 1991.
He was of the Methodist faith. He enjoyed driving his dune buggy on the Glamis Sand Dunes in California. He and Jane returned to Illinois every summer for six months to visit her twin sister and family, where they had a lake house built on Little Swan Lake. He loved traveling with Jane. He will be remembered most for his smile and laugh, his sacrificial love for his wife and family, and his youthful spirit that kept him active for 99 memorable years.
A graveside service will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, August 18, 2025, at Elmwood Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association. Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Service Abingdon Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be shared at www.h-p-w.com.
