Paul Manning Shumate died October 11, 2019 at his home in New Bern, NC after a seven year battle with Parkinson's Disease.  At the time of his death, he was with his wife, his children and many of his grandchildren.  The home was filled with music and many laughs as the family enjoyed remembering Paul's favorite music and stories of his life and impact.  Paul was born and raised in Dallas, Texas on November 25, 1937.  He attended Oklahoma State University where he met his wife, Rozanne, who was also attending OSU.  They married a year later in 1960 and recently celebrated 59 years of marriage.  After college, Paul and Rozanne moved back to Dallas where he worked for his father at Owen Shumate that later became United Wholesale and Bar Supply.  Shortly after returning to Dallas, Paul joined the Naval Air Force as a reservist.  He was proud of his active duty service in the Navy with Operation Dominic in 1962 on Christmas Island in the South Pacific with the testing of the hydrogen bomb.  He loved his plane and role as an ordinance crewman on the Neptune P2V.  Returning home to Dallas, Paul continued working with his father and growing his family.  He and Rozanne had 5 children in 8 years.  He and his father started City Music in Dallas where he serviced many bars and restaurants' vending operations.  From the wholesale and vending business and after his father's death, Paul began to build and sell turn-key restaurants and bars in Dallas, over thirty in total.  Three of those restaurants and bars he kept and managed himself:  Craw-Daddys, The Wild Turkey and The Wild Turkey II.  He loved the pace, the personalities he met and the excitement that surrounded him in the restaurant business.

Although he loved the lifestyle in Dallas, Paul was most content at a family farm in Wilkes County, NC.  In 1982, he left the rat race in Dallas for a simpler life in North Carolina.  He moved his family of seven to Elkin, NC, near the farm.  This was a real gift to his family who loved the simpler life the mountains of NC offered.  He brought his unique restaurant ideas to Elkin where he built and ran Basin Creek Country Store, a favorite Elkin icon from 1982 - 2011.  During his latter years, he enjoyed working in Alaska for his son, Chris, at Keystone Adventures and later as a community safety officer for the City of Valdez.  His love for Alaska was contagious and he encouraged everyone he met to head North.

For those who knew Paul, all may agree that his greatest gift to this world, in addition to his family, was his sarcastic and witty way of challenging the norm and encouraging everybody in this world to think bigger than themselves.  He had a mischievous approach to life that made every day fun and interesting with Paul, Dad, GrandPaul, Pappoo and Pablo.  He was beloved by all who knew him.  The world is a better, more colorful place because of the life of Paul Manning Shumate.  He is family famous for his "none-such" and we believe there was none such like him.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, CC and Rubye Shumate, as well as his daughter, Paige Shumate DeVries.  He leaves behind his wife, Rozanne Shumate, his only sister, Sydney Ann Atkins, four children, Shannon (and Shane) Sparks, Laura, Chris (and Celeste) Shumate and Jill (and Dean) Thompson, 12 grandchildren, (Paul, Holly and Seth Crater; Anna Sparks; Anna, Forrest and Joy Shumate; and Hilliard, Josie Paige, Lincoln, Laura Grace and Wilton Thompson) and three great grandchildren (William, Julian, and Bianca Crater) as well as a great grandchild to come, baby Shumate-Doherty due near Paul's birthday next month.  A celebration of his life will be planned for the Spring at the farm and a burial will be at a family cemetery near the farm next to his daughter Paige.  In honor of Paul, the family requests a quiet walk in the woods in appreciation of Paul's favorite thing to do:  walking in the woods with his family.  The family would like to thank his doctors of many years, Dr. Paul Gulley, Dr. Paul Healy and Dr. Chris Taylor as well as Jennifer McDowell and Craven County Hospice with Dr. Bob Fisher, Leilani Goodwin and Erica Fields who cared for Dad in his last days.

All who knew Paul loved his unconventional approach to life, so instead of flowers maybe paint your pumpkin or gourd this Fall in his honor as Paul did for many years at Basin Creek.  Memorials could be made to the Paige Shumate DeVries Music Fund at Wake Forest University, PO Box 7227, Winston Salem, NC  27109, Craven County Hospice or a charity of your choice.  But really, a walk in the woods with your family or friends is the best honor of all.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the Spring of 2020.  Date and time will be announced.