Whitney V. Shoup, long-time Silver City pharmacist and community volunteer, died Dec. 28. He was 91.
Shoup was born in Guymon, Okla.,in 1934, but soon his family moved to Bauxite, Ark. After graduating from Bauxite high school, Shoup ventured to Little Rock, Ark., to study at the University of Arkansas School of Pharmacy, graduating in 1957. Shoup married the former LaVera Daphne Wilson in 1958.
Their first son, David, was born in Pine Bluff, Ark., in 1959. The Shoups then came to Silver City in 1960, to run the Meadows Rexall drug store on Silver Heights Blvd. The couple at first considered the move just an adventure, but came to love the town. Soon,they had another son, Steve, in 1961, and daughter, Suzanne, in 1966. In the mid-1960s, Shoup bought the Sav-On Drug, then at Bullard and Market, and they settled into the community.
By 1976, the business had grown enough for it to move to a larger building at 1306 N. Hudson. where Whitney and LaVera worked until retirement in 1997. Whitney had a warm spot for college students, whom he often employed at the store. One of them, Rosie Humble, took over the store in 1997.
Shoup remained active in the community for years, having volunteered with the Community Concert Associate, the Animal Humane Association, the NM Native Plant Society and the Western New Mexico University Foundation. Whitney was also active in the local Methodist Men's group.
The couple also traveled the world in retirement. Whitney was also fond of giving informal classes on astronomy to school children.
Shoup was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, LaVera, who died in 2014. He was also preceded in death by his son, David, in 2021.
Shoup was cared for in his final days by daughter Suzanne and her family; husband Bruce Alberts, granddaughter Sophia Alberts and grandson Gabriel Alberts. Shoup moved to Titusville. Fla., in 2022 to be with his daughter. The family recently moved to Cartersville, Ga., where Whitney died of cancer under hospice care.
Whitney is also survived by his son, Steve, of Albuquerque.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the WNMU Foundation Shoup scholarship fund.
Shoup wanted to be interred in Silver City along side his wife and first son, but plans for memorial services are pending.
