Author: Legacy Synthesis

Ralph Shockey graduated from John Handley High School with the Class of 1937. A talented musician, he played clarinet with the Handley band and orchestra as well as with “Professor” W. H. McIlwee’s Municipal Band.

Ralph joined his father and brother Jim (Class of 1930) in the family’s general contracting business immediately after high school. Once stating that he had started by digging foundations by hand, he played a major role in the Shockey Companies through various leadership positions for 82 years including as President and Chairman of the Board.

Ralph served with the Army in the European Theater during World War II. After his return from the war in 1946, the family formed Howard Shockey and Sons before creating Crider and Shockey Concrete Ready Mix operations and later the Shockey Precast Group. By 2006, the companies employed more than 500 people.

Ralph Shockey was involved with the creation of some the region’s most recognized structures. The Shockey companies provided design and build services for commercial buildings, industrial buildings, the Winchester Medical Center and schools that included the Virginia Avenue-Charlotte DeHart Elementary School and James Wood High School. Shockey led the renovation of John Handley High School in 1977 and the major renovation of the school that started in 2005. 

The Shockey Precast Group provided the material for the construction of major manufacturing facilities in the region as well as the material for numerous bridges and Winchester’s parking facilities. 

Under Ralph Shockey’s leadership, Howard Shockey and Sons was general contractor for the construction of the Loudoun Street pedestrian mall in 1974. Beginning in the mid-1980’s, Ralph and his son Clay (Class of 1976) developed Winchester’s Meadow Branch subdivision.

Ralph was involved with the community in many ways. He served on the Business Attraction Committee of the Winchester/Frederick County Economic Development Commission and on the Board of Directors of Winchester/Frederick County Industrial Development Corporation. He was President of Mount Hebron Cemetery Board of Managers and a member of the Board of the Salvation Army.  

He was a member of the Board of Trustees serving as Vice President and Chair of the Building Committee of Shenandoah University. He chaired the presidential search committee in 1982. He was the recipient of the Algernon Sidney Sullivan Award and the Shenandoah University Award for Distinguished Service.

He received the Honorary AGC Award of the Associated General Contractors of Virginia in 1981 and the 2002 Distinguished Citizen Award from the Shenandoah Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

The Winchester-Frederick County Chamber of Commerce named Ralph Shockey the 1997 Citizen of the Year. He was described at that time as “a quiet leader in the community who does not seek notoriety but seeks a better community.”

Betsy Carper entered the 4th grade at Handley in 1951. She was on the volleyball team, in the Latin club and in the choir. She took piano lessons at school and performed in numerous recitals. Her family moved following her junior year and she graduated from James Wood High School in 1960.

Betsy worked in the medical field her entire life. She was a Certified Surgical Technologist at Winchester Obstetrics and Gynecology and helped deliver countless babies during her career.

Not only did her 3 children graduate from Handley High School, Betsy and her husband had 7 foster children who attended Handley. She also hosted 13 exchange students from all over the world who attended Handley their senior year and graduated from Handley.

Betsy made many significant contributions to Handley while the 23 children in her care attended the school.

She participated in 17 system wide musicals performed at Handley and was a seamstress for the costumes in these musicals. She supported the soccer and tennis programs. She was the secretary of the Judges Athletic Association for 3 years. She and her husband, Gary Sibert, received The Outstanding Handley Band Boosters award in 1999-2000.

Outside of Handley, Betsy participated in the Winchester Medical Center Follies to raise money for the WMC Auxiliary. She chaired the program for 11 years while serving on multiple committees.

She made costumes and assisted with alterations for the Winchester Little Theatre and contributed to the Henry and William Evans Home by donating dolls that she created by hand for the annual auction.

She made hundreds of masks for doctors’ offices, vet’s offices, friends, and family for free during the pandemic. She published a book entitled “My Life Woven Through Time” in 2022.

Currently, Betsy is a member of the Mega Donor Club of the American Red Cross. She has donated over 32½ gallons of blood and continues to give blood every 56 days. She is the top female donor in Winchester.

Betsy is a Deacon and member of the Chancel Choir at First Baptist Church. She is a member of the WMC Auxiliary Board and currently chairs the WMC gift shop committee. She assists the Winchester Medical Center Operating Room Reunions and organizes the Class of 1960 reunions for both Handley and James Wood. She attends Handley football games regularly, assists with Handley Centennial events and is a true Judge through and through.

Mary Jane was a stenography student at Handley. She started performing secretarial duties in the guidance department during her senior year through the business department’s cooperative education program. She was hired by the school upon graduation and remained in her role as the administrative assistant in the Counseling Office until she retired in June 2020.

Mary Jane’s 51 years of service at Handley makes her one of the longest serving staff members in the history of Winchester Public Schools.

Multiple generations of students and families have known her. She answered phones, helped students with their schedules, filled requests for transcripts, and hand-rolled thousands of diplomas. She provided supervision to study hall and co-op students, trained co-workers, provided a caring ear to students who came to see the counselors, and other duties too numerous to mention.

She received the Citizen Support Award from the Tri-County Virginia OIC for Outstanding Service and Support of the GED Program in 1988. In 2003, she received the “Quiet Hero Award” for her dedication and support to the Winchester Public Schools and in 2015 she was awarded a plaque with an attached gavel during a Black History Month program with “Thanks For Your Dedicated Service from 1969-2015.”

Her daughter Erika (Class of 1995) described Mary Jane as “physically small in stature, but big in heart and faith.” She continued stating that Mary Jane is always supportive of her children and grandchildren attending all sporting events, band competitions, and other activities. She is a member of Winchester Church of God where she actively volunteers in the office. Her faith is strong and she is a great role model.

Mary Jane recently wrote, “Thanks for choosing me as one of the “One Hundred Handley Notables.” It is truly a great honor. I am proud of my dedication and service as the administrative assistant in the Counseling Office, and to the students, teachers, and staff at Handley, and to the Winchester Public Schools for 51 years.” 

Bill Shendow was vice president of his class, an excellent student and a Hall of Fame athlete in football and track. He earned a football scholarship to Wake Forest where he was a co-captain his senior year. He was named to the All ACC Football Team and All ACC Academic Football Team. As the Commander of the ROTC Corps of Cadets, he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Army in 1963.

Bill started graduate school at Georgetown University but was called to active duty in 1964. He performed a two-year tour of duty that included a year as an Intelligence Officer in Vietnam for which he was awarded a Bronze Star. Honorably discharged in December 1966, he completed his work at Georgetown the following year and received a master’s degree in International Relations.

In 1967, Bill returned to Winchester and entered his family’s retail apparel business. He was vice president of Bell Clothes, Inc. from 1967 to 1986 and became president of the Winchester Retail Merchants Association.

He served as a member of the Winchester City Council from 1976 – 1983. He began instructing government courses at Shenandoah University on a part-time basis in 1983.

In March 1986, he was selected to be President of the Winchester-Frederick County Chamber of Commerce and the Executive Secretary of the Industrial Development Corporation. He established the Business-Education Council through the Chamber as a forum for business leaders to meet with leading educators in the region.

He was a co-founder of the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters and was instrumental in starting Kids Voting of the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

Bill earned his doctorate in public administration from the Center of Public Administration Policy at Virginia Tech in August 1991. He was named the Director of the John O. Marsh Institute for Government and Public Policy at Shenandoah University in 1997.

Through the Marsh Institute and as Chair of the Political Science Department, he established Shenandoah University as a regional educational and public policy resource center for public sector managers and students of government. Bill retired from Shenandoah University on August 15, 2015 and was awarded the designation of Professor Emeritus.

Bill described himself as a promoter of better public administration and services. He believed public service, civility, and participation in the political process were key functions in today’s world and that teaching young people about those attributes was vitally important. Recognizing that civility was a missing element in modern political discourse, he worked with Shenandoah University President James Davis to encourage those in government to focus on good behavior, quality discussion and helpful interactions.

Bill received the Winchester-Frederick County Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Citizen award in 2002. Lions Club International recognized him with the Melvin Jones Fellowship for Humanitarian Services in 2017.

During his retirement, he enjoyed travelling with his wife, Kitty (Class of 1957), and rooting for his beloved Handley Judges and Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

His classmates described Otis “Snag” Sargent as a natural leader. He was the President of the Class of 1926 and Captain of Company A in the Handley Cadet Battalion. He was considered to be one of the best athletes ever to compete for Handley in baseball, football and basketball.

He had a good scholastic record in high school and attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts following graduation. Snag returned to Handley in 1928 to teach physical education and has been credited with establishing the Physical Education program. He created different Physical Education programs for the elementary, junior high and high school grade levels at the school.

Snag coached football during his first year back at Handley and was one of Handley’s first track coaches. His track teams won 5 consecutive state championships during the 1930’s. During his long career with the school, he taught physical education and coached track and football on both a fulltime and part time basis.

An entrepreneur as well as a teacher, he opened his first sport shop for young men in the George Washington Hotel building in the mid-1930’s. It operated for 8 years until the inability to secure sporting goods during World War II caused him to close.

Snag married Miss Virginia Bean, a teacher at John Kerr Elementary School, in June 1938. Mrs. Sargent was a 1935 graduate of Madison College and served the Winchester Public Schools as a teacher and elementary principal for 40 years.

Snag continued to coach football at Handley during World War II. He was an assistant football coach to veterans Hunter Maddex and Dick Kern when they returned from military service in 1946.

He opened a new sporting goods store and haberdashery known as the Young Men’s Sport Shop on Rouss Avenue in the Capital Theater building in 1947. The shop became known as “Snag’s Sport Shop” and relocated to the corner of Braddock Street and Boscawen Street.

Otis “Snag” Sargent supported Handley athletic teams until his death in 1973.

Wendell Seldon was a man devoted to his family, to the City of Winchester, to public service and to youth sports. He served on Handley’s General Organization Executive Council and was a member of the Honor Court. He was a gifted athlete who played basketball and ran track while supporting the football teams as a manager / trainer.

Wendell began his role in government service directly out of high school as the assistant to Winchester’s city manager, Lee Grant (Class of 1925). He became city manager when Mr. Grant retired in 1967. He was known for his dedicated, ethical and kind leadership approach in local government and was named “Public Administrator of the Year” in 1976 by the Virginia Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. During his time as city manager, he was a key part of many projects that still define Winchester today, including the Loudoun Street Pedestrian Mall and the Joint Judicial Center.

Wendell enlisted in the Virginia Army National Guard in 1948. He worked his way through the ranks and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in December 1952.  He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 1985 and retired in 1989.

Wendell’s quick rise to leadership positions in local government and the National Guard, forgoing the traditional college path, exemplify the fact that a road less traveled can hold promise and possibility for Handley graduates.

His love of sports was apparent throughout his life. An accomplished athlete himself, he officiated 1,800 high school and college level football and basketball games over 40 years. He served as Commissioner of the Winchester Officials Association for 34 years and was inducted into the Virginia High School League’s Hall of Fame in October 1993.

Wendell left Winchester in July 1986 when Governor Gerald Baliles appointed him as Director of the Department of General Services. He was reappointed by Governor Douglas Wilder in 1990 and served until his retirement in 1991. The Commonwealth of Virginia honored him in a joint House and Senate Resolution upon his retirement.

Wendell considered his greatest accomplishment to be his 69 year marriage to Barbara Darlington (Class of 1948). All four of their children became Handley graduates.

Greg Seldon (Class of 1971) recently wrote: “My father’s contributions to the city of Winchester remain one of his greatest achievements in his storied career. Yet perhaps his most notable work is not the accolades on paper but in the stories I continue to hear from his fellow colleagues and friends, all with a common theme: his commitment to leadership. He advocated for and mentored those he believed in and often changed the trajectory of their careers.”

Carl Rush was voted “Most Popular” by the Class of 1997.  His journey at Handley was marked by his talent as a three-sport athlete and a member of the 1994 State Championship football team. His accolades extend to Track and Field, where he earned a state medal.

Carl completed his undergraduate studies, earned a Master of Business Administration, and achieved a Master of Education Administration from Shenandoah University.

Carl served as a former educator and administrator for Winchester Public Schools. His impact on the educational landscape of Winchester speaks volumes about his dedication to shaping the future of the community. Carl’s leadership in this capacity contributed to the nurturing and development of students, leaving an indelible mark on the trajectory of their lives.

Currently serving as the inaugural Chief Equity Officer for Loudoun County, Carl Rush stands at the forefront of addressing critical issues facing the region. As the Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) Chief Equity Officers’ Committee, he regularly participates and brings leaders together to develop solutions to the region’s major challenges such as regional housing, regional greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal, and transportation and equity planning concepts to inform future growth and investment decisions.

Carl’s dedication to community engagement is not confined to his official roles. A graduate of the UVA Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Senior Executive Institute and an active member of organizations like the Winchester Education Foundation, Laurel Ridge Foundation, Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), the Virginia Local Government Management Association (VLGMA), and the National Forum of Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), he deeply involved in shaping the discourse around public service.

Carl has been an active participant in the Winchester and Loudoun County communities. His involvement with the National Association of Counties (NaCo) Professional Leadership Academy and the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors underscores his commitment to mentoring and fostering the next generation of leaders.

Carl credits the influential role played by individuals such as his parents (Leslie and Carolyn), Tommy Dixon, Phil Dyett, Terry Furman, and Russ Potts. These mentors and figures have contributed significantly to shaping Carl’s character and instilling in him the principles that have guided his journey to success.

However, the most profound impact on his life comes from his wife, Regina