Col. Daniel Joseph (Joe) Shearin, age 92, of The Villages, FL, passed away Sunday, October 23, 2016. Joe was born Feb. 7, 1924 in Uniontown, PA. to James A. Shearin and Edith E. (Festog) Shearin.
He graduated from Point Marion High School, Point Marion, PA. He went on to earn a BA from Penn State University, State College, PA. and later an MBA from George Washington University, Washington, DC; Honor Graduate of the Armed Services University, Ft. McNair, Washington, DC with honors by the Secretary of Army, as well as Post Graduate studies at the University of Virginia and Harvard University College of Business.
Joe is survived by his wife of 23 years, Rose Shearin, daughters Karen A. Ayers and husband Michael, West End, NC, Jenifer K. Justice and husband James, son Daniel J. Shearin, Jr. and wife Virginia, Lancaster, PA, grandchildren Corrie L. Shearin and Daniel Ayers and wife Denise, Mooresville, NC, great-grandchildren Ella and Jacob Ayers and sister Nancy Kennedy, Pittsburgh, PA.. He is preceded in death by his parents James and Edith Shearin, brothers William Shearin, James Shearin and Thomas Shearin, and sister Ruth Berry.
Col. Shearin was a highly decorated Veteran of WWII having served during the war in the European Theater and Korea during the Korean Conflict. In addition to his many theater combat and military service decorations with battle stars, he was the recipient of the coveted Legion of Merit Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.
Following his retirement from the US Army, Joe served as Deputy Director, Plans & Analysis Directorate, Army Materiel Command, Washinton, DC and later as Senior Operations Research/Systems Analyst at ASI Systems International Corp, a private industry “think Tank” company, headquartered in Anaheim, CA. With a few close business associates, he later formed Aristonetics Technology and Systems Corporation, a small research company where he served as Vice-President for Operations and still later as President of Shearin Associates, a Human Factors Engineering Consulting Co.
Upon his move to his retirement home in the Villages in 1991, he remained active in local clubs and community affairs serving on the Home Health Advisory Board at Leesburg Regional Medical Center, past Secretary of the Lake County area Chapter of MOAA, Maryland Chapter President of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), and Member of the Board of Directors of the Village Chapter of the Penn State University Alumni Association. He is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a member of the local American Legion Post 0347, Michigan Club, Military Family Group, and the Penn State Club.
Of his many accomplishments, Joe was most proud of his religious affiliations with St. Timothy Catholic Church where he served as a member of “Christ Renews his Parish” team; Past Grand Knight of the St. Timothy Knights of Columbus 3rd degree, Admiral of the 4th Degree K of C Assembly and member of the K of C Color Corps.
He enjoyed playing golf twice a week, swimming 24 laps every day, boating, traveling and especially his many summers he spent in Morgantown, WV at the family cottage on the Cheat Lake.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, Cornerstone Hospice in the Villages or St Timothy St Vincent De Paul Society. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Cornerstone Hospice Home Health staff for taking such wonderful care of Joe.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 8:30 a.m. at St Timothy Roman Catholic Church on Friday, October 28, 2016. Interment will follow at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Fl. Wake service will be from 5 Â to 7 p.m., Thursday, October 27, 2016 at Beyers Funeral Home, Hwy 441, Lady Lake, FL.
