Shaney Lee Howard

Shaney Lee Howard departed this life on September 30, 2022 on his 52nd birthday. Born in Nassawadox, VA on September 30, 1970 Shaney was the beloved son of Betty Lou Howard and the late Carey Howard. He was raised on Chincoteague Island, graduated from Chincoteague High School in 1988, and was a member of Union Baptist Church. After high school Shaney attended the Eastern Shore Community College. He then moved to the mountains of Virginia where he attended Radford University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

                Shaney enjoyed traveling and experiencing other cultures. He traveled all over the United States and to many parts of the world. After college his travels took him to many different countries in Asia, Europe, and Central America. He taught school for several years in South Korea and Thailand before returning to the US and making his home on the West Coast. It was in Oregon that he met Vanessa East who was to become the love of his life. There they made a happy home together along with their son, Owen, in Mckenzie Bridge.

                Growing up on Chincoteague, Shaney was known for his kind and gentle nature, his generosity, and his original sense of style. He was a friend to everyone he met. Shaney loved animals of all kinds, going fishing, and making music. He was intelligent, possessed a quick wit and an amazing sense of humor. Upon his return to the West Coast, Shaney often combined his talent for cooking with his sense of compassion for others, especially the poor and marginalized. He participated in disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina and Sandy by cooking and feeding those impacted by the storms. He also volunteered for the organization “Food Not Bombs’ in his Oregon neighborhood, spending many hours feeding the homeless.

Shaney was a talented musician and spent many years as a member of the two old-timey jug bands, the Blair Street Mugwumps and the Dunghill Rooster Strutters. With these bands he performed at local venues in his area, singing and playing multiple instruments.

In more recent years, Shaney devoted himself to family life and his battle to overcome MS. He has lived a quiet, settled life in McKenzie Bridge where he and Vanessa made their home together, gardening, cooking for friends, raising animals (including his hound dog, Harlan), and most importantly, parenting Owen. Nothing made Shaney prouder than watching their boy participate in the activities that he enjoyed.

                Shaney was employed for many years by Oregon Supported Living Plan. He will be greatly missed by his co-workers and the patients he attended in their adult assisted living program.

                Shaney was predeceased by both sets of grandparents, Mr & Mrs. William Lee Howard and Mr. & Mrs. Clayton Brittingham, his father, Carey Howard, and his brother-in-law, Gregory Birch.

                In addition to Vanessa and Owen and their extended family, Shaney is survived by his mother, Betty Lou Howard, his sister, Susan Pertsch and her husband Charlie, niece Hannah Birch, nephews, Carter and Christian Birch, several aunts, uncles and cousins, and many, many friends.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday, November 13th at 3:30pm at Salyer Funeral Home, on Chincoteague Island, VA.

Arrangements were made by Springfield Memorial Gardens in Springfield, OR and Salyers Funeral Home in Chincoteague Island, VA. His ashes will be interred at the Daisey Cemetery on Ridge Road in Chincoteague Island, VA.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Go Fund Me Page for Vanessa and Owen or to the food pantry of your choice. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Shaney Lee Howard, please visit our floral store.