Holmes R. “Butch” Shaver, 83, of Parkersburg, passed away peacefully on June 14th, 2022. He was born in Parkersburg, WV on August 8th, 1938, the son of the late Ralph Glenn Shaver and Annie Laurie Rankin Memel and was a lifelong Parkersburg resident. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church.

He is survived by his wife, Donna Ruf Shaver, son Steven Michael Shaver, daughter-in-law, Ami Weaver Shaver, grandchildren Calli Morgan Shaver and Dylan Michael Shaver, and a sister, Sharon Klopp (Fred) of Bonita Springs, FL, and nephews Mark Klopp (Megan) and Michael Klopp. Butch’s family was everything to him.

Butch graduated from Parkersburg High School in 1956 and attended WVU in Morgantown, WV. He subsequently enlisted and served two years in the U.S. Army. After boot camp he was stationed in Seoul, Korea.

After his army stint, he returned to Parkersburg and began working for his father at Shaver Funeral Home. He attended Glenville College while working and was able to add to his hours at WVU to get an associates’ degree. This enabled him to enroll at Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science where he was elected president of his class. After his graduation, he worked for many years at the then Shaver and Son Funeral Home.

During this time, he met and married the love of his life, Donna Ruf. This marriage lasted until his death after 59 wonderful years. They had one son, Steven Michael Shaver, who was also his best friend.

After his father died, Butch embarked on a new career…real estate…which he continued until his death. He enjoyed his work immensely, especially when joined by Steve as a partner.

Butch was a 32 degree Mason and a member of Nemesis Shrine Temple, where he served as Potentate in 1980. He also belonged to the Royal Order of Jesters, where he was proud to be Director in 1981.

Another proud accomplishment was his 24 years serving Wood County as County Commissioner. Being an elected official was a great experience in his life. He was an active and valuable member of the community and served on many boards and organizations over those years. Some of these were the Airport Authority and the Development Authority.

He was the recipient of many awards and honors through his civic affiliations. One of his proudest moments was receiving the William P.A. Nicely Award for Lifetime Achievement. Another very special acknowledgement was a commemorative ceremony honoring his service as commissioner, when the Wood County Judicial building was named for him.

One of Butch’s favorite pastimes was riding his favorite horse, Lasso. They earned many national awards in the sport of cutting. He was an avid member of the National Cutting Horse Association and spent countless hours with a trainer practicing the sport of cutting. His practice paid off and he was very successful in the cutting pen. His most fun moment was winning the Eastern Nationals at Jackson, MS in his division at age 75. There was even an article about him in the Cutting Horse Chatter. Butch was part of his son Steve’s thirty year racing career as his car owner, crew member, and travel companion. He was there for the big wins and memories to last a lifetime.

Aside from spending time with his beloved family, his greatest enjoyment was attending WVU football and basketball games. He was the epitome of a true fan. Blue and gold were definitely his favorite colors.

He also was an avid golfer and very much enjoyed his time with friends on the course.

Butch's family and friends joined together when Butch passed away to create the Holmes R. "Butch Shaver Memorial Fund with the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation. This memorial fund will forever provide monetary assistance to Alumni for the Future, Inc., which is a nonprofit organization that supports Parkersburg High School's athletic teams. The goal of Alumni for the Future, Inc. is helping to provide high school students with more and safer opportunities in the area of extracurricular athletic activities.