Obituary of Mary S. Shenk

Mary S. Shenk, 61, of Herndon, Virginia, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends on November 04, 2016 at the Capital Caring Adler Center in Aldie, Virginia. Mary was born in Washington, D.C. to James Lee and Betty Lois (Wise) Sonnefeld on February 25, 1955. She was living in Maryland when she was introduced to Glen Shenk by his mother who worked with Mary. They married in 1974 and moved to Virginia. She worked in various locations with the Federal Government over 30 years and retired from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on January 01, 2011. In retirement Mary enjoyed gardening (flowers and vegetables), fishing, dining out, and getting together with family and friends for almost anything social (luncheons, craft shows, pet expos, parties, and wineries). Mary could win over total strangers upon first meeting them. She was blessed with many long-term friendships and blessed with good neighbors who became her newest friends. In recent times, Mary had volunteered at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary and the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. Mary’s love of animals was an important part of her life. Mary is survived by her sister Cathie, brothers Bob (Lisa) and Jim (Cathy), nieces Lori and Tina, and nephews Dale, Kyle, Jeff, Joe, and Jamie. She is preceded in death by her parents, James and Betty, as well as Glen, her husband of 32 years, who passed in December 2006. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to a charity of choice in memory of Mary S. Shenk. The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude to all those who took Mary into their heart. For service information please click the Service Information tab on the left side of this page.