Faye Fontella Evans Dunkle Shumway, 94, peacefully passed on Good Friday, March 30, 2018. She was the Matriarch of the family and her firm belief in the Lord guided her throughout her long life.
Faye was born to the late Andrew (a schoolteacher and farmer) and Birdie (a homemaker) Evans, in Hayesville, NC on March 8, 1924. She grew up on the 100-acre property chosen by her grandfather, who was a shepherd, as it reminded him of his homeland of Wales. She spent summers riding bareback on her horse, Nell. Her family was sheltered from many the struggles of the Great Depression due to their self-sustainability and were able to provide help to the community.
At the age of 20, she felt led to leave college to join the Marines to do her part to help her country during World War II. She was station on the El Toro Marine Corps air base in Tustin, California. She became an expert installing the ejection pulley on the canopy of the F6F Hellcat fighter planes that flew in the South Pacific. Reflecting as a Corporal, she felt the service helped her to personally mature, develop discipline and learn to engage with people of different faiths and backgrounds all across our country.
Family was of the utmost important to Faye. She wed a fellow Marine, Master Sargent Robert Dunkle. Together they raise two beautiful daughters in Riverside, California. Afterwards, she promoted the Marines to potential women recruits. She later brought joy to seniors as an activities director in a nursing home for over 20 years. As a lifelong writer, she encouraged and inspired many through the honest, refreshing and factual representation of her life.
Faye is survived by her daughters, Sharon Sandlin and Susan (Tad) Ofuji; her grandchildren Dennis (Mary Ann) Beale and Christin Extale; her great grandchildren Bryan Auer, Tim Costello, Stewart Costello, Michael Auer, Gordon Beale, Natasha VanSlyke and John Auer; and her great great grandson Julien Costello. She is preceded in death by her first husband, Robert Dunkle, second husband, John Shumway and granddaughter, Marshon Danielle. Others will miss her as she treated many people as her family.
A visitation will be held will be held on Saturday, May 5th at 2-3pm with a memorial service to follow in the Chapel at Meridian St Methodist Church, 5500 N Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46208. Please share prayers, condolences and memories at www.indianafuneralcare.com.
She was charter member of the Wesley United Methodist Church in Riverside, California. Later in May, her final resting place will be the Riverside National Cemetery alongside Robert Dunkle’s gravesite.
“We may all be actors but let us do it well
Let your hearts cast a magic spell
Be not troubled with pain
Let it travel far away
It’s only love that you will.”
-Faye Shumway
Tiffany Andersen says
Dear Grandma Faye,
You were as beautiful inside as you were outside. I have many blessed memories of you in my life. Your passing on Good Friday is a sign you woke up in Heaven with Jesus holding your hand. You will always be remembered and much missed in this life.
Love always,
Tiffers
P says
Dearest Grandma Faye,
You are such a dear. We will have to wait for a bit for us to resume our long talks about this and that, and laugh at fond memories that, right now to me, seem mostly distant dreams.
I know you are holding your head high among the saints, Grandma Faye. You were never anything but graciousness, honesty, loving and class. You showed me the meaning of family and I am so devastated about everything but I know it will, somehow, be made right by God. I hear your voice right now telling me to pull it together. I have Grandma. The last 5 years have been hell, but I am on my way to teaching kids screenwriting. I cannot believe it either. I continue to try to pull it together.
I wish things had been different and we could have all been together.
Someday we will.
I love you Grandma – watch out for baby.
I’m doing well. Please, ask everyone in heaven to pray for our baby.