Sherron Rumbaugh Oyler

Sherron Rumbaugh Oyler passed away peacefully on April 8, 2025. She was born on August 18, 1940 in Logan, WV to Carlton “Rummy” and Eula Rumbaugh. She was the middle sister of three Rumbaugh girls, a trio that still holds something of legendary status among friends and family. As the story goes, Eula and Rummy couldn’t decide on a middle name for Sherron, and so, they didn’t give one to her - an odd fact, but one that would make cosmic sense, years later. As she described it, she enjoyed a childhood in Logan marked by church on Sunday mornings, youth group on Sunday nights, family dinners in the dining room, fighting with sisters over clothes, summer Girl Scout camps, cheerleading and pep rallies, and constant streams of friends and neighbors who were more like family than friends. She cherished her childhood, her parents, and her sisters Susan and Sandy, and she never took any of it/them for granted.

Sherron attended West Virginia University where she majored in elementary education and minored in music and voice. It was at WVU, in the Phi Kappa Psi house to be exact, where she met the love of her life, Lawrence “Doc” Edward Oyler, who would go on to be her husband of 60 years. They married in 1963 in Logan’s only-ever double wedding ceremony, the youngest two Rumbaugh sisters sharing the day, as a testimony to their closeness. We are told that it was the “society event” of the century for small town Logan, and it was on that day, that she went from having no middle name, to becoming Sherron Rumbaugh Oyler. It was almost as if she was born waiting to add the Oyler name.

Sherron’s first job out of college was teaching in a one-room school house with no indoor plumbing, just outside of Morgantown, WV. She often told stories about how much she loved those days in the old school house. She was the only teacher for a variety of ages of students and her days were marked by lessons, a mid-day meal that she cooked for them on the wood burning stove inside the school house, and recess time when she would teach them Girl Scout songs and camp games. In Parkersburg, Sherron continued her career as a teacher, first at a school for children with special needs and then as a substitute teacher for Wood County Schools. She adored her students and they adored her back. The theme during her teaching years was always the same. Many of her former students would say years later how much they loved walking into a classroom and seeing her sitting behind the desk on the mornings she was subbing in their classroom. It was a treat to have Mrs. Oyler for the day.

After teaching, she switched gears and like a true renaissance woman, she got her real estate license, rocked the Casual Corner power suits, and took the real estate world by storm at Parkersburg Realty. She excelled, likely in part due to all of the same qualities she brought to the classroom - kindness, sweetness, and instant charm. She enjoyed over a decade of work there, for one of her favorite bosses and buddies.

During her real estate era, Sherron picked up the fitness craze of the 80’s and never really looked back. Starting with a Nautilus Gym membership and aerobics classes, to later taking up jogging, and eventually to her trademark long power walks, she loved being active. Right up to her very last weeks, no one will be surprised to know that she was attending chair-aerobics classes at her independent living community in Huntersville, NC, determined to “get back into shape.” No one had more grit and determination, and her love of being active was one of her lifebloods. So much so, that it seems impossible to memorialize her without mentioning it.

Sherron was a devoted member of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Parkersburg. She taught Sunday School for many years, volunteered and led music at summer church camps, and lovingly “encouraged” her two children to become acolytes and attend Sunday School and youth group there, a move that her children are eternally grateful for. The place and the congregation meant so much to her, that it’s hard to think of Sherron without thinking of Good Shepherd.

As life evolved for Sherron, the one constant was her great love affair with Doc. They went from being young early-20s newlyweds with barely a dime and a morsel of common sense between them, to building a family, a life, and creating gobs of memories along the way. She would tell you that some of her sweetest memories in Parkersburg were their weekends with friends on the ski slopes at Canaan Valley, countless summer group vacations with friends and family to Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, and the many hours spent spectating John and Sara’s sports and activities.

When their days of raising kids were finally done and retirement became a reality, they resurrected their decades-old love affair with the Carolina coast, packed up, left WV, and headed to Southport, NC where they built their dream home on the water in St. James Plantation. St. James became the backdrop for their next batch of memories and the creation of their next batch of lifelong friends. They enjoyed over 20 years there, marked by sunset glasses of wine on their back deck with their precious friends and their weekly Wednesday night beach group where they would gather for happy hour and beach sunsets. She enjoyed golf, her weekly Bible study, took up playing the ukulele, volunteered at the local Hospice house, and served on Altar Guild at St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church. Through it all, she embodied the strength of a warrior, enduring and beating multiple myeloma, undergoing a kidney transplant (from her donor, sister Sandy), and as the years went on, a “slew” of other health issues that would have brought most others to their knees. She was quite simply, the strongest, most positive person in the world, despite so many challenges and hiccups. Along the way, she set an example of strength, faith, courage, generosity of spirit, and sweetness, that her family is determined to carry on.

Sherron was preceded in death by love of her life, her husband Larry “Doc” Oyler. What a joyful reunion we know that was! She is survived by her children John (Rachel) and Sara (Dave), her grandchildren Gregory, Lisa, John, Anna, Tag, and Caroline. She is also survived by her loving sisters, Susan and Sandy, and their families, as well as countless friends from WV, Southport, and more recently, Huntersville.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to one of Sherron’s lifelong favorite charities, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Sherron’s family would like to thank the staff at Symphony Park for their sweet embrace of her since her arrival there almost one year ago. We are also forever grateful for the loving care provided to “Miss Sherron” by the caregivers with Home Careolina, as well as the nurses and staff with Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County.

A memorial celebration of life service will be held on Saturday May 10 at 11:00am at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davidson, NC, followed immediately by a reception at Symphony Park Independent Living Community (12221 Sam Furr Rd, Huntersville). A separate celebration in St. James will be planned sometime over the summer, to raise a glass to both Doc and Sherron in proper fashion, at the coast that they so dearly loved.