Roger Alan Shockley

Roger Alan Shockley, 62, beloved husband of Laura Shockley, passed away Saturday, March 11, 2023.

Born in Greenville, SC, he was a son of the late Robert Bostwick and Dorothy Connelly Shockley.

Above all else, Alan loved God with his whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and loved his neighbor in the same way. He grew up in a small home in Greenville, SC with his 3 brothers, his sister, and his mom and dad. It was in this home where he learned the essential building blocks to any good life. And he lived by these principles to the very end: a relationship with God matters above all else, laughter and time with friends and family grounds us, and hard work is not only satisfying, but allows a person to care for those they love.

As a man who loved hard work, Alan grew up taking any odd job he could, even If it meant picking peaches in the hot South Carolina sun for a dollar a bushel. He eventually became a stock boy at Bi-Lo, a company where he worked his way up to store manager. This kind of advancement would become a recurring theme in Alan’s life. Later, he would start his own sandblasting business (a business where he would even let his very young sons “help”—though their sandblasting equipment may or may not have been turned on). He grew this business to such a success that it was acquired by a steel manufacturing company called Dave Steel Company in Asheville, NC. Alan moved his family there and transitioned to life in an office and on job sites. Once again, through hard work, long hours, and treating everyone with respect, Alan moved up the ranks of the company and higher in esteem in the eyes of all who knew him. Alan ended his career as General Manager of Henard Metal Fabricators, where he continued to work with excellence, never wavering or slacking. His colleagues remember him as a man who was not only a good coworker, but a mentor and friend.

His friends and siblings will remember his laugh and the way he loved making them laugh. Whether it was sitting on his mom’s couch on a Sunday afternoon with his brothers, sister, nieces, nephews, wife, and children reading the Sunday comics, or gathered around a card table playing Rook with his closest friends, Alan loved being with his people. His friends and siblings will also remember him as a confidant and carer, one of the first people to respond when someone needed help. Infinitely handy and industrious, there were few problems he wasn’t able to fix with and for his friends and family. Alan was a man who showed up for the ones he loved, no matter what.

His wife and children will remember him as a source of strength, a provider, and the one they could always call. Alan made a home in which his wife and children never wanted for anything. And even after 12 hour days of work, he would make time to eat dinner with his family, laugh with them, and understand their lives. He made time in summer to lay on sunny beaches with his wife, indulged his children in any hobby they’d like to pursue so he could learn and grow with them, and reminded them all that the bonds they made together were worth more than any other kind of wealth. His family will miss the sound of his voice, the nicknames he’d make up for them, and his strong hugs.

Whether they stood with him on the edge of his boat, sat with him in a pew, worked with him on a noisy job site, or laughed with him around a dinner table, people will remember Alan Shockley as a good man who loved God and loved his people.

In addition to his wife, Alan is survived by three children, Matt Witmer, Christian Shockley, and Caleb Shockley; a sister, Beverley Shockley Bruce; two brothers, Curtis “Curt” (Melinda) Shockley and Stan (Shyla) Shockley; two brothers-in-law, Sandy Jo Witmer and Gary Dan Witmer; and a host nieces and nephews who he loved dearly.

Alan was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Robert Wayne Shockley; a sister-in-law, Holly Lee Styles; and a brother-in-law, Danny Bruce.

A visitation for family and friends will be held Monday, March 20, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. at Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes, Downtown followed by a funeral service at 12:00 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. A committal service and burial will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Friends are encouraged to leave condolence messages for the family by clicking on the button labeled “Leave A Message, Share A Memory” below.