Clifford A. Shrum

1948 - 2026

Clifford A. Shrum, 77, of Latrobe, passed away Friday, March 27, 2026, at Independence Health System Westmoreland Hospital. Born Nov. 24, 1948, in Latrobe, he was the son of the late Walter T. "Barney" Shrum and Helen M. (Kelly) Shrum. Cliff was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Latrobe. In his younger years, he had been a bouncer at The Red Rooster and a lifeguard at Idlewild. With a strong sense of duty to his country, Cliff enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1968. His career spanned 23 years, including time with the U.S. Army Special Forces "Green Berets" on three tours in Vietnam. After retiring from the Army in 1991, Cliff was employed at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and later with Homeland Security. One of his proudest moments was being tasked with coordinating security for the G20 Summit held in Pittsburgh in 2009. Upon returning home to Latrobe, Cliff became an instructor at Westmoreland County Community College, where he coordinated their Homeland Security program. He also spent time in security at Excela Health Latrobe Hospital and was instrumental in overseeing their emergency management program. For many years, he was asked to speak at Greater Latrobe Senior High School to share his story of his time in the service. He especially loved being able to share those memories while encouraging the students to serve their country, as well. Cliff is survived by his wife of 20 years, Joanne (Slabodnick) Shrum of Latrobe; one son, Eric Shrum (Kristie) of Jacksonville, AL; one daughter, Tracy McCrory (Howie) of Washington, PA; two grandchildren, Amelia and Rhianna; two brothers, Jeffrey K. Shrum (Susan) of Texas and Timmy E. Shrum (Karen) of Delaware; and four nephews, Michael, Patrick, Ryan, and Daniel. Family and friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at LOPATICH-BRINKER FUNERAL HOME LLC, 601 Weldon St., Latrobe. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Latrobe, with the Trinity clergy officiating. Interment will follow at St. Vincent Cemetery with military honors accorded by the VFW Post No. 33, Greensburg. To sign the online guest book, send condolences, or share a story, please visit www.lopatichbrinker.com.