Obituary of Stephen Kenneth Shuman

Stephen K. Shuman, 71, of Morgantown, passed away suddenly on Friday, September 1, 2017.  Steve was born November 28, 1945, the eldest son of Robert Lemley Shuman and Elizabeth Lake Shuman. 

He graduated from Morgantown High School in 1963, attended Fairmont State College, and later earned his juris doctor from the WVU College of Law in 1971.  Upon graduating from law school, Steve joined his father and Benjamin G. Reeder in the practice of law at Reeder and Shuman, where he spent the next 46 years.  He was eventually joined by his eldest son after his father’s passing in 1996.  Steve was very quick to tell people that he was the third of four successive generations of lawyers born and practicing in Monongalia County and that through his grandfather, father, himself, and his son, the family has been practicing in the county for more than a century. 

Following his father’s death, Steve was the dean of the county real estate bar and best known as the ultimate deal maker.  Aside from the tens of thousands of business transactions that he structured and closed over the course of more than four decades, Steve will best be remembered for the almost equal number of quiet and unseen transactions he arranged for those who could not afford his counsel.  Thus, he aptly and deservedly earned the moniker of Robin Hood.  He was an avid supporter of the WVU Rifle Team and an avid outdoorsman.  When Steve wasn’t in his office, which was a seldom occasion itself because of his love of the deal, he could be found on a boat fishing anywhere from Costa Rica to the Bahama Cays to the Florida Keys to Alaska.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Cindy Kay, and three sons: Robert Louis Shuman and his wife Victoria of Morgantown, Michael Stephen Shuman of Morgantown, and Nicholas Benjamin Shuman and his partner Alex Tamayo of New York, NY.  He will be missed by them and his four grandchildren: Nathanial Louis, Gwyneth Taylor, and Angelina Grace Shuman and Brittany Nicole (Palumbo-Shuman) Dulin and her husband Matthew C. Dulin all of Morgantown and a great grandson, Hudson Christopher Dulin.  He is also survived by three siblings, Roberta S. Mitchell of Columbus, OH, Philip B. Shuman of Morgantown, and Betsy Parker of Chillicothe, OH.

Friends and family will be received at The Hotel Morgan, 127 High St. Morgantown, on Tuesday, September 5th from 2:00-7:00 PM.  A private family service will take place at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the WVU Rifle Team  to continue Steve’s support at the address of PO Box 842, Morgantown, WV 26507, Attention Robert Louis Shuman.

Hastings Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements and online condolences may be made at www.hastingsfuneralhome.com