Obituary of Helga Shay

Dr. Helga Ruth Grunert Shay, age 85 of Morgantown, passed away Tuesday afternoon, February 26, 2013 at Windy Hill Manor in Kingwood. She was born December 2, 1927 in Gleiwitz, Germany to the late Leo Adam Grunert and the late Emma (Gawliczek) Grunert Survivors include her two children, Diana Shay and her husband Dan Clay of Alderson, WV and Leo Shay and his wife Caroline of Morgantown; three grandchildren Courtney Brady and her husband Joshua of Morgantown, Leah Shay and her husband Scott Payne of Morgantown and Nathan Clay of Alderson, WV; two great-grandchildren, Connor Brady and Audrey Brady; one sister, Erika Sapp of Germany, and several nieces and a nephew.. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Otis Waters Shay in November, 2012; her youngest son, Gerry Lee Shay in March, 2012; and one sister, Ruth Carlotto. Helga was born and raised in Germany. She met her husband, Otis, in Germany while working as an Interpreter-translator for the US Army Intelligence Office in Munich after WWII. They married in Germany in 1952. She began working at WVU in 1957 in various departments for over 30 years. The majority of her career at WVU was the graduate school. Helga took the position as Coordinator of the graduate center at Jackson's Mill, WV in 1975 and remained in that position until her retirement. She was a skilled professional translator of "old German script" and translated for WVU, Agricultural Science Department, the US Department of the Interior, and most notably for the US Library of Congress. Some of her greatest passions in life were her love of animals, managing her rental business, literature, knitting, traveling back to Germany as well as travels in the US, and playing the accordion. Helga received a diploma from the Bavarian Interpreter and Translator School in Regensburg, W. Germany in 1949. She received her Ed.D from WVU in 1975, her MA in Counseling and Guidance from WVU in 1969, and her BA from WVU in 1967. She was a member of the Morgantown Property Owners Association and St. Mary Catholic Church, Phi Delta Kappa, Southeastern Regional Association of Teacher Educators, the American Personnel and Guidance Association, as well as various other organizations. She had a flair for telling stories to her family and friends about her life growing up in Germany, and the many atrocities of World War II and her escape to safety. When her health began to decline, her family encouraged her to write the many events of her life. She did so in 2008 and presented copies to her family and a few close friends. Family and friends will be received at Hastings Funeral Home, 153 Spruce St., Morgantown on Friday, March 1 from 6-8 PM and again on Saturday, March 2 from 12 Noon until the time of the funeral service at 1 PM with Father John V. DiBacco officiating. Interment will follow in the Oak Grove Cemetery. Condolences: hastingsfuneralhome.com