John Frederick Shappell

John Shappell was born outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in February of 1947, the youngest of 3 brothers. As a boy he lived on the edge of an abandoned golf course where he and his brothers could explore the woods and catch crawdads in the creek that ran through it, and fish to their hearts content. In the summers, they would vacation in Canadensis, PA, a little town nestled in the Poconos. There they fished and swam in the water that was cold as ice. On some evenings their Dad would take them to Pocono Plateau, a mountaintop with a fairly large lake where they would watch the deer come to water. When he was eleven, he joined the scout troop at his church and remained in the troop until he graduated college. His favorite part of being a scout was the monthly campouts and the week he spent at Hart Scout reservation camp every summer. There he learned to swim, canoe and row a boat. It was there he fell in love with making things with his hands.
John loved to sing. He was a boy soprano as a 5 year old in his church. In the 10th grade he was in the acapella choir. They were the best choir in the city, and he loved it. He sang in every choir in every
church he belonged to and was still singing in the choir at his current church, Main Street UMC.
When John was a teenager his Dad suggested he go to church camp. There he heard the testimony of a youth pastor named Rocky Riedel. He was a former rodeo cowboy. One night Rocky shared his story and it was through this testimony that John first understood the love of God and it changed the trajectory of his life. He was an active member of his church and became the president of our Methodist Youth Fellowship. Throughout his life, many people suggested he should become a minister, but for the longest time he didn't think that was for him.
Before his father passed, John consulted with his Dad about entering the Methodist ministry, which he did in 1989. He then attended Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC while serving his first appointment at two churches in the Pungo section of Virginia Beach: Bethel and Beech Grove United Methodist. He would be ordained as an Elder in the United Methodist church and go on to serve parishes throughout Hampton Roads over the next 25 years: Bethel & Beech Grove UMC, Norview UMC in Norfolk, Oxford UMC in Suffolk and finally First UMC in Norfolk. Throughout his ministry, he also served as a volunteer Police Chaplain for both the Norfolk and Virginia Beach Police Departments. He spent many years involved in various prison ministries, always meeting people where they were in their life and sharing with them the love and grace of God who forgives all sins.
John was a member of the first ever graduating class at Virginia Wesleyan College in 1970, where he got his bachelor's degree in English and met the love of his life, Ann in the fall of 1966. John and Ann were married in July of 1970, after their graduation. In the fall of 1971, they welcomed their first daughter, Kristen, followed by Jennifer in 1975, and then Laura in 1977.
John Shappell taught his children and grandchildren to be kind, give unto others, love your family, and to appreciate nature and all that God's created and given you. He taught all of us that family was first, no matter what. He never missed an event with any of his daughters or grandchildren, no matter the drive it took to get there or the time of day. He was a Little League Softball coach for his girls when they were younger. He taught all his daughters to fish, and then all of his grandchildren, and they all spent countless summers on camping trips at many of the state parks in Virginia. He loved those trips, staying in a cabin, and fishing with his daughters, son-in-laws and grandchildren or just watching from the dock while all of the cousins fished and played together. They would take hikes together on every camping trip, all 15 of them, enjoying nature and cherishing their time together. He would point out what bird just flew by simply by the sound it made or the color of its feathers or tell us a story about a particular kind of tree or flower. He loved being in God's garden and simply spending time with his family.
Once he retired, he and Ann moved to Suffolk, Virginia where they became active members of Main Street United Methodist Church. He loved to work in his yard or sit on his huge back deck with Ann, watching the birds enjoy his numerous bird feeders. He was always at peace when he was outside in nature, either with a fly rod in his hand, a golf club, a hand shovel, or simply enjoying a good book. He left a lasting legacy on so many people he met in various aspects of life. He truly believed that "Everyone Counts or Nobody Counts," (Harry Bosch, from the Michael Connelly books). John Shappell lived his life every single day by this motto. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends but we know he is with his Lord in heaven.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at Main Street United Methodist Church, 202 N. Main Street, Suffolk, VA at 11:00 AM. R.W. Baker & Co. Downtown Suffolk Chapel is serving the family. Condolences may be registered at RWBakerFH.com.