Obituary of George Brian Shanks
George Brian Shanks (82) resident of Harrison, ID passed away at his home on July 10, 2024. He was born to George and Janet Shanks on December 13, 1941, in Charleston, WV. George started his childhood in Elmira, NY, and he grew up in Wellsburg, NY. He met Yvonne “Bonnie” Green in at the Wellsburg school, and the couple graduated from Southside High School in 1960. The couple married on May 20, 1961, in Elmira.
George enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the start of the Vietnam war and served 3 ½ years. He was stationed at Virginia Beach, VA and worked as an Aviation Mechanic / Fire tech on the U.S.S. Constitution aircraft carrier in SE Asia. When he was honorably discharged in 1967, he and Bonnie eventually returned to the Elmira / Wellsburg area and went to work as a meat cutter in a butcher shop. George had grown up with cars and enjoyed racing sprint cars on the weekends.
Once the family started to grow with more mouths to feed, George returned to his passion for cars: first working for a Buick dealership and then settled into Elm Chevrolet in Elmira, selling cars while working alongside his brother, Larry, and sister, Sherry. Wanting more independence, George and a friend opened S&H Auto Sales and he ran that business as both salesman and mechanic for a decade. During this time, he and Bonnie built their own home from the ground up in the rural New York countryside outside Wellsburg. Then in 1986, George made the decision to move the family to Harrison, ID for a slower paced life, better family environment and the much better fishing on lake Coeur d’ Alene.
The Shanks family quickly became involved in the small town of Harrison, and they were dearly loved by their community. George served in many roles at the Harrison Community Baptist Church and participated in their construction mission trip to the Dominican Republic. George also served on the Harrison City Council. He briefly sold real estate around Harrison while also running his business of buying, repairing and selling cars through Shanks’ Enterprise.
George took pride in helping his neighbors in any way he could, utilizing his mechanic skills and general resourcefulness. He always raised a bountiful garden and was well known in Harrison for his annual corn roast potlucks. Living on the lake was a dream, and George loved where he lived. He took advantage of the fishing, and if he wasn’t fishing, he was often watching NASCAR. For decades, family vacations mainly consisted of two things: races and fishing trips. He attended several NASCAR races, traveling all over the United States. Most importantly, he loved his kids and his grandchildren and enjoyed their visits immensely.
George is survived by his children Valerie (Rick) Brown of Paradise, TX, Deborah Shanks (and Jeff) of Coeur d’ Alene, ID, David Shanks of Boise, ID, Jason Shanks (and Carrie) of Boise, ID, and Kevin Shanks of Kingston; and 3 grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Bonnie Shanks last December, daughter Theresa Shanks, and siblings Sherry, Wilbur (Larry), and Rodney.
A funeral service will be on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at 11:00 am the Harrison Community Baptist Church in Harrison, ID. A gathering of family and friends to share a meal will follow. George’s final resting place will be at Ashland Cemetery in Wellsburg, NY alongside Bonnie, his wife of 62 years.
