Geraldine Alice (“Gerry” to her friends) VanScyoc, 71, of Wadestown, passed from this life on March 26, 2015.
Gerry was born on April 8, 1943 to Earl and Edna Henry of McMechen, WV. She was a 1961 graduate of Moundsville High School and the 1963 Marshall County Centennial Queen. After high school, she attended West Virginia University, worked as head of promotions for WWVA Radio and WTRF-TV Channel 7. Gerry also spent a few years in the Nashville area where she worked in country music promotions and public relations. She wrote for music trade papers and magazines, designed album covers and wrote bios for some of country music’s biggest stars. Cover designs were created for Sam McGee, Marty Robbins, Charlie Louvin and other country music legends. In 1968 she was voted one of the Top 10 Women in Country Music Promotions.
In later years, she worked for Early Head Start in Monongalia County teaching craft classes to young mothers and for the Clay-Battelle Public Library conducting story hour for preschoolers.
Gerry was a consummate volunteer. She was a founding member of the Fish Creek Fire Department and the Graysville Mohawk 4-H Club. She was a 4-H leader for over 30 years and was recognized as 4-H Leader of the Year in 1983. In 1993 Mrs. VanScyoc was recognized with a Community Star Award. In her nomination, Tim and Beverly Brower wrote that her “volunteer capacity is unlimited.”
At Mason-Dixon Elementary, she began the OWLS (Outdoor Wildlife Learning Site) program in 1994. She and her husband, David donated the Eagle Mascot to the school and volunteered in many classrooms. Her creativity enhanced the curriculum of many teachers. She always seemed to know just what the teachers needed to spark the interest of the students. She made story aprons, provided costumes and made crafts with students. She even wrote a song to help Jackie Moore’s third grade students remember the names of the presidents.
Literacy was an important endeavor for Gerry. She loved sharing books with students and adults and was a GED tutor. She was honored with The Copenhagen Award for adult literacy in 1991.
Holiday celebrations were very important to Gerry. She single handedly made all of the costumes for the West Warren Baptist Church Live Nativity out of scraps of fabric, old curtains and draperies and any useable item she had on hand.
She was instrumental in grant writing that brought many services to Western Mon County. She was involved with the Wadestown Community Resource Center at its inception and was also on the grant committee that brought tens of thousands of dollars in educational resources, prenatal education and literacy to pregnant women and preschool children through the Early Head Start program.
She has been described by people who knew her best as a “hard charger,” “a woman who had a lot of guts” and “not your average girl next door.” She was a woman on a mission who knew what she wanted and she went for it!
Gerry was without a doubt one of the most generous people to grace this earth. She possessed a quick wit and wonderful sense of humor. She was an extraordinary baker and cook. Her sugar cookies were so beautiful that they could easily grace a display in any upscale bakery.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two infant daughters, India and Angel and her brother-in-law, Riley VanScyoc.
Surviving are her husband David VanScyoc, whom she married on September 4, 1975; her two sons Israel VanScyoc and wife Beverly of Wadestown and Cy VanScyoc and Brandi Bane of Grant Town; four grandchildren, Levi VanScyoc of Hundred, Hammer and Madeline VanScyoc of Wadestown and Tylor Dittman of Core; two brothers and their spouses, Pat and Patty Henry of Bridgeport, OH and Bob and Sherry Henry of Groveport, OH; two brothers-in-law and their spouses, Roger and Carol VanScyoc of Fish Creek and Don and Judy VanScyoc of Washington Lands; one sister-in-law and her husband, Betty and Jack Carrington of Moundsville; a sister-in-law, Sherry VanScyoc of Moundsville, several nieces, nephews and close friends including Carmen Williams of Hundred.
Friends may call at Tennant Funeral Home, 2678 Hornet Highway in Hundred, WV from 2-8 pm on Saturday, March 28, 2015. Funeral services will be held at the funeral home at 1 pm on Sunday, March 29 with the Reverend Harry Midcap officiating. Interment will follow at the Wadestown Cemetery.
To honor Gerry’s commitment to volunteerism, memorial contributions may be made in Gerry’s memory to Mason-Dixon Elementary Library (7041 Mason-Dixon Hwy Blacksville, WV 26521), Clay-Battelle Public Library (Drawer J Blacksville, WV 26521), Wadestown Busy Bees 4-H Camp Scholarship Fund (15 Frank Tennant Road Blacksville, WV 26521) or The Gerry VanScyoc Memorial Scholarship Fund at First Exchange Bank (PO Box 780 Hundred, WV 26575).