Linville NC UMC

08/18/2026

🕊️ In Loving Memory of Phillip Wade Shomaker
February 28, 1943 – August 16, 2026

It is with sadness, but also with gratitude for a life so generously lived, that we share the passing of our dear friend and member of the Linville United Methodist Church family, Phillip Wade “Phil” Shomaker, age 83, of Banner Elk.

Phil attended Linville United Methodist Church regularly and, as his family so beautifully shared, he found comfort in being surrounded by his church family. We are grateful that Linville UMC could be a place of faith, fellowship, and belonging for him.

A fourth-generation native of Banner Elk, Phil devoted much of his life to education, children, and service to the Avery County community. During his 30 years with Avery County Schools, he served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. Even after retirement, his commitment to young people continued through tutoring and community service.

Phil believed deeply in caring for his neighbors.
Above all, Phil leaves behind a family who loved him dearly, including Cheryl, his wife of 63 years; their children, Monica, Heather, and Bruce; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; extended family; and many friends whose lives were touched by his kindness and service.

Funeral Arrangements

Saturday, August 22, 2026
📍 Newland Presbyterian Church

Visitation: 10:00–11:00 a.m.
Funeral Service: 11:00 a.m.

A private burial will follow at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church Cemetery in Banner Elk.

Memorial donations in Phil’s honor may be made to RAM (Reaching Avery Ministry), P.O. Box 234, Newland, NC 28657.

We ask our Linville UMC family and our entire community to surround Cheryl and all of Phil’s family with prayer, love, and support in the days ahead.

Phil spent a lifetime teaching, serving, feeding, advocating, traveling, and caring for others. His legacy reminds us that faith is not simply something we profess—it is something we live through the love we offer our neighbors.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.” — Matthew 25:23

May God welcome Phil into eternal rest, and may Christ’s peace surround all who loved him.

Thanks be to God for the life, faith, service, and witness of Phillip Wade Shomaker. 🕊️

Please continue to hold the Shomaker family in your prayers.

06/18/2026

Today, Linville United Methodist Church joins communities across our nation in observing Juneteenth, a celebration of freedom, resilience, and hope.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas finally learned they were free—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. It is both a celebration and a reminder that God's call to justice, dignity, and freedom continues in every generation.

Scripture reminds us:

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." — Galatians 3:28

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." — Galatians 5:1

"But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream." — Amos 5:24

As followers of Christ, we celebrate the God who creates all people in love, calls us to seek justice, and invites us to build a community where every person is valued and welcomed.

Happy Juneteenth from Linville United Methodist Church.

06/10/2026