Obituary of William Ellsworth Shearman

Obituary William (Bill) Ellsworth Shearman, 92, of Fort Collins, CO, passed away peacefully after a brief and unexpected illness on Saturday July 30, 2022. He was really looking forward to his 93 rd birthday, just 11 days away. Bill was surrounded by his loving family and is now reunited with his beloved wife, Jan, who passed in June of 2013. Born on August 10, 1929 in Paris, Ohio, to James Shearman and Margaret Flynn, Bill spent his early years on a farm with no running water or electricity. He was the 4 th out of 8 children. The family moved when he was in the 6 th grade, eventually settling in South Bend, IN. After graduating high school, Bill joined the United States Air Force where he served with distinction for 20 years, achieving the rank of Senior Master Sergeant. Bill served our country in Korea during the conflict and was stationed at many military bases both overseas and stateside. Bill used each transition as an opportunity to grow and share his already strong Christian faith. He also became a seasoned world traveler and an expert skier during those years. In 1970, shortly after retiring from the USAF, Bill reconnected with his high school sweetheart, Janice Elaine Carr. Their romance was quickly rekindled and it led to marriage in 1972. Bill and Jan returned to South Bend, IN, where they first met, to take their vows before briefly settling in Urbana, IL. As devoted as Bill was to Jan, he also took on the role of step- parent with amazing courage and strength. Bill brought many positive influences to Jan’s two teenagers then and throughout their lives. Bill’s second career as a Senior Buyer at Kraft Foods allowed the couple to transfer to Placentia, CA, which became a hub for family. This included step-son Ken and his growing family, Jan’s sister and her family, Jan’s parents, as well as many of Bill’s siblings with their families close by. No visit to Grandad’s was complete without a visit to Disneyland where Bill and Jan had yearly passes and the grandchildren were never disappointed as Bill knew how to work the park for maximum fun. Over their 42 wonderful years, Bill and Jan shared their Christian faith and traveled around the world from Australia to Europe to Canada. Being an expert skier, Bill was always planning new exotic locations to explore well into his 70’s. In 2010, their last move was to Fort Collins, CO to be closer to his step-daughter and her family. Bill is survived by his two step-children, Marcia (Patrick) Fitzhorn and Ken (Sue) Hoffmann, 5 grandchildren, Matthew (Joy) Fitzhorn, Anna (CJ Bang) Fitzhorn, Daniel Hoffmann, Brian (Binky) Boyer-Hoffmann, and Amanda Hoffmann, his 2 great-grandchildren, Emma and Reese Camp, his sister Lorraine “Lor” McClure and her 2 sons, Mac and Mark McClure, and many nieces and nephews across the country. Sister Lor was the oldest of the 8 siblings and at 99 years old, she is now the last surviving sibling. His family will forever miss his warm smile and his tell-tale whistling that let us know he was concentrating on something. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado, 455 Sherman Street, Suite 500, Denver, CO 80203. Services You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of William Ellsworth Shearman