George “Andy” Shelton, 86 of Bridgeton, New Jersey, passed away Oct. 22, 2024, in Silverdale, Washington, surrounded by his family after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. He was born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, to George “Sooner' and Wilma Shelton, nee Anderson.

He grew up in Bridgeton hunting, trapping, playing the drums and participating in athletics. During this period, he developed a lifelong love of horses and everything “Western”. He attended Bridgeton High School (class of 1956), where he excelled in track and field as a record setting hurdler under the expert coaching of his father. Most importantly, he met Barbara Ann Dimeo who became his wife.

He attended Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, where he was a hurdler and broke several school records established by his father. He was a founding member of the Alpha-Omega Muskrats fraternity. He sang lead in a popular college vocal group and in his spare time he attended classes. In August 1960 he married his wife of 62 years, Barbara.

At Bridgeton High School, he taught biology and industrial arts and was the head track coach for many years. He loved his students and fellow teachers and was always proud of his student athletes, many of whom went on to attend Division 1 colleges and a few to professional sports.

While he enjoyed teaching, he was always an outdoorsman and a cowboy at heart. He was a member of the Eastern Bowman, a traditional bow-hunting group that hunted deer in South Jersey and in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. He liked to joke that he hoped that when he died, his wife would sell his archery equipment and shotguns for “what they were worth, not what he told her that he had paid for them”. He loved working outdoors, loved trapping, and spent his summers working as a commercial crabber, and taking family vacations in Seabright, Ontario, Canada which was a lifelong Shelton family tradition.

He was the drummer in a popular wedding band, “The Woodsman” and shared lead singing duties. He loved to garden and he planted hundreds of trees in his lifetime. He and his longtime hunting buddy, Mike Lamade, reintroduced the Eastern Wild Turkey to South Jersey. His other hobbies included Harley Davidson motorcycles, quarter horses, Springer Spaniels, team roping, saddle making and fly fishing.

He was a devoted father and grandfather who created a nickname for everyone. His children were affectionately known as Cheech and Buck. He looked forward to visits from his grandkids and instilled in them a love of family, outdoor endeavors and wildlife conservation but no tolerance for algebra.

He was a grand storyteller, though sometimes with a hint of exaggeration. Even in his last few days, he told stories of a dream about riding horseback through new country with Barbara. He loved that dream.

He was pre-deceased by his wife Barbara; a son, Matthew; his parents, and his brother Danny.

He is survived by his sons, Andy and Michael; his daughters-in-law, Gloria and Kathy; his grandchildren, Casey, Madeline, Cody and Cole.

Memorial donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.