Union-It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Katherine Lanier Hancock Shiflet. She passed away peacefully Thursday afternoon, Mar. 16, 2017, after a prolonged illness.
Kappy, as she was affectionately known, was born in Virginia in October, 1932. She was the oldest child of the late Dr. Henry Hurt Hancock and the late Hortense Herring Hancock. Her family moved to Sweet Springs, WV, when her father became the Superintendent/General Physician to the Andrew S. Rowen Memorial Home. She graduated from Union High School and went on to graduate from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. In college, she was an active member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority where she served as president in her senior year.
She was married to William Marion Shiflet, whom she met while in high school. They settled in Union and then later in Keenan to raise their family. Marion passed away in 2010 and was laid to rest on what would have been their 55th wedding anniversary of that year. Their oldest child, Katherine Hancock Shiflet, predeceased her in 2012.
An avid bridge player, Kappy enjoyed her weekly bridge games with her friends. Kappy was also an avid reader and belonged to the local book club where she spent many fulfilling hours with her friends. Kappy was known for her outstanding culinary abilities and her flair for entertaining. Whether she was serving a picnic luncheon to a West Virginia governor and other state dignitaries or setting out a formal dinner party for 12, she was always the perfect host. Her annual, and extravagant, Christmas parties were always anticipated by friends and family far and near. A cradle Episcopalian, she was an active member of All Saints’ Church in Union. She acted as Senior Warden for many years and attended numerous state conventions representing the interests of her fellow church members.
She is survived by her children: Marian (“Mollie’’) Shiflet of Leland, NC; William Marion Shiflet II (“Bill”) and wife Julie of Union and the Honorable Caroline Sparks and husband Mark of Union. She was a doting grandmother to her grandchildren who cherished her: McKenzie O’Brien of San Diego, CA; Buckley O’Brien of Wilmington, NC; Carter Shiflet, Laine Shiflet and William Marion Shiflet III (“Tripp”) of Union; and Rebecca Sparks and Riley Sparks of Union. Kappy is also survived by her siblings: Margaret Hancock Crosier Smith of Penn Laird, VA; Henry Hurt Hancock, Jr. and wife Patricia of Keenan and William Herring Hancock of Roanoke, VA. She is also survived by brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Alvin and Eleanor Porterfield, of Lewisburg; sister-in-law, Elizabeth Neale of Keystone Heights, FL; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Kappy’s life will be held Saturday, Apr. 22, at 5 p.m. at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Union. A reception will follow at the Monroe Service Center Showroom on Main Street, Union. If you wish to remember Kappy, please consider a gift to her beloved All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Union, WV 24983.
Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home in Lewisburg is in charge of arrangements. Please send online condolences by visiting www.WallaceandWallaceFH.com.