Shanks, Dr. Jack

29 Apr Shanks, Dr. Jack

Dr. Jack Ervin Shanks, 75, of Hickory, died Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at Frye Regional Medical Center from cancer. Dr. Shanks was born Jan. 27, 1934, in Wilmington, Ohio, a son of the late Carl Harmon and Edith Brown Shanks. 

Dr. Shanks was a veterinarian and also served in the Korean War. He worked on a cattle ranch in Vermont, where he met and married Nancy Moore of Springfield, Vt., on Sept. 20, 1958. They moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he attended Ohio State University. He graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine in 1964. He moved to Damascus, Md., and was a resident veterinarian for Col. E. Brooke Lee. He went into private practice years later and had a small animal hospital. He also had a large animal practice, which included the U.S. Naval Academy’s Cattle Farm in Annapolis, Md. Dr. Shanks moved to Mocksville in 1978 and had a Hereford cattle ranch as well as practicing a large animal veterinary business. He moved to Hickory in the early 1980s, where he practiced large animal veterinary work and ran a cattle farm on C.B. Farm Road. 

He was a lifetime member of Montgomery County Fair, past president of Damascus Lions Club, member of Davie County Ruritan Club, past president of Maryland Veterinary Association, board of director of American Bovine Association, a present member of North Carolina Veterinary Association, Kentucky Veterinary Association and Virginia Veterinary Association. He was a past member of Maryland and North Carolina Polled Hereford Association, having served as president of both associations. He also was a member of Catawba County Cattlemen’s Association. Dr. Shanks coached a 4-H judging team in Maryland, taking them to several state contests with success. He was active in working with youth in Ohio, Maryland and North Carolina. He enjoyed loaning cattle to youth and advising them how to raise and show at local fairs and cattle shows. He considered them “his kids.” 

Dr. Shanks is survived by his wife, Nancy Moore Shanks; son, J.D. Shanks and his wife, Sarah Shanks, of Etters, Pa.; daughter, Kimberly Herman and her husband, Todd Herman, of Skiatook, Okla.; four grandchildren, David Shanks, Kasey Herman, Rob Shanks and Katie Shanks; brothers, Dr. Carl H. Shanks and his wife, Isabelle Shanks, of Newburg, Ore., and Jerry Shanks and his wife, Susan Shanks, of New Market, Md.; sister-in-law, Dorothy Donnelly of Springfield, Vt.; niece, Cynthia Robinson of Washington; and nephews, David Shanks of Vancouver, Wash., Bill Shanks of Friday Harbor, Wash., Mark Shanks of Maryland and Brian Donnelly of Lawton, Okla