Dr. Ernest Dabney "Ed" Shackelford Jr.

1926 - 2021

Shackelford, Jr., Dr. Ernest Dabney

August 24, 1926 - January 28, 2021

Ernest Dabney "Ed" Shackelford, Jr., age 94, of High Point, formerly of Asheboro, died Thursday, January 28, 2021 at Pennybyrn Nursing Home in High Point where he lived for 5 years. Ed Shackelford was born August 24, 1926 in Petersburg, Virginia, the son of Ernest D. Shackelford, Sr. and Evelyn Williams Shackelford.

Ed spent his childhood years in Roanoke, Virginia, Wilmington, NC, Richmond, Virginia as well as Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Boys High School in Atlanta. As a teen, he experienced a traumatic injury to his leg and developed osteomyelitis. He overcame this life-threatening event to go on to college at Georgia Tech where he graduated with a B.S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1946 at the age of 19. His physical disability improved, and his passion turned towards medicine. He then attended the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, graduating 1st in his class in 1952. He was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honorary Medical Society. He married the love of his life, Joan Hahn Shackelford, in Richmond, Virginia in 1951. At the advice of his father, they settled in Asheboro and started a family. He opened a Family Practice in North Asheboro realizing this was an under-served area. He went on to further his education and attended UNC Chapel Hill obtaining a specialty in Radiology in 1967. He then joined Dr. Charles Owen at Randolph Hospital where he remained until retirement in 1988. After retiring, he went to work for NC A&T University in the Engineering Dept. teaching fluid dynamics and mathematics. Additionally, he refurbished an existing wind tunnel and ran experiments for NASA and also contributed to many scientific publications, one of which was published in the AIAA Journal, June 2005.

Among his many accomplishments he was a Founding Member of The Thorton R. Cleek Memorial Hospice (now known as Hospice of Randolph) in memory of his good friend Dr. Thorton Cleek. Ed was an avid volunteer for the YMCA afterschool program, tutored children in the ESL program and was an active member of the Asheboro Rotary Club. He always had a special interest in Hispanic culture. Other interests included painting, sculpting, music, poetry, fishing, swimming, and sailing. In 2017, he published a book of his poems dating from 1949-2006 with the help of his good friend and caregiver, Kerry Brown.

Ed was a man with a Big Heart who loved his family and others dearly. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Joan Hahn Shackelford. He is survived by his children and their spouses, Cindy Raines (Tom), Dab Shackelford (Michele), Pam Nance (Terry), Sue Padjen (Mike), and David Shackelford (Hiland). Surviving grandchildren are Justin Padjen, Jolie Atkins, Mandy Johnson, Tyler Nance, Kara Shuler, Logan Shackelford, Morgan Mo, Kris Shackelford, Micah Shackelford and 4 great grandchildren.

At this time, service arrangements are pending. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: www.loveshriners.org, Hospice of Randolph, or to any charity of your choice. The family would like to thank the Pennybyrn staff and All Generations Home Care for their love and care.

Pugh Funeral Home in Asheboro is serving the Shackelford Family. Please share remembrances and condolences at pughfuneralhome.com

"One is given the right to succeed… One creates the right to fail" - E.D.S. 2009

Pugh Funeral Home

437 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro, NC 27203