Retired U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer 4 Welland T. ‘Doc’ Shoop, 94, was born September 4, 1921, in Endicott, N.Y., to the late Frank L. Shoop and Rosina M. Shoop (Coxe), departed port on his final deployment Friday, April 1, 2016.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Theodore U. ‘Teddy’ Shoop; son, Donald N. Shoop; and sister, Thelma Masters.
He is survived by his son, David T. Shoop, and his wife, Linda, of Virginia Beach; brother, Howard Shoop of Columbia, Md.; grandsons Kenneth T. Shoop, and his wife, Susan, of Virginia Beach and Kristopher T. Shoop, and his wife, Christine, of Chesapeake; six great-grandchildren and several nieces; and companion, Sally Newton.
Doc graduated from Union Endicott High School in 1938 and attended Harpur College in Endicott. N.Y.; the College of William & Mary, Norfolk Division; Old Dominion University; and The University of California at Berkley. He retired from the U.S. Navy in 1974, having spent 30 years in service to our country during World War II, Korea and seeing action on the ground and in the air in Vietnam, for which he received the Navy’s Air Medal for hazardous flight missions during his deployment with the Naval Support Activity at NAS DaNang from April 1966 to April 1967.
He also served on the USS Ault DD698 from May 1953 to September 1955 as an independent hospital corpsman as the ship’s only medical person, hence the name ‘Doc.’ He also served at the Naval Powder Factory, Indian Head, Md., Preventive Medicine Unit 2 NOB Norfolk, Naval Supply Center, and as the commanding officer of the 2nd Surgical Company (a 500-bed field hospital) in Camp Geiger, N.C. His other military awards included Navy Unit Commendation DaNang RVN (two awards), Navy Good Conduct (third award), American Theater, Korean Theater, Vietnam Service Medal (two stars), World War II Victory, American Defense (on star), Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and United Nations.
Doc was approved for flight training in August 1943, but he elected to put it aside in order to marry his sweetheart Teddy in October 1943. He also worked for the Ansco Film Corp. for five years as an organic microanalyst in the Research Department. After retiring from his beloved U.S. Navy, he worked and retired in 1986 after 12 years as a health inspector with the Portsmouth Health Department. Then he got into serious wood working, joining the Tidewater Woodworkers Guild, and made beautiful furniture and toys that still adorn the homes of family and friends.
For many years, he and Teddy were members of the Wrecktangles Square Dance Club. He bought an engraving machine so he could make badges for the local clubs in the Tidewater area. When Macular Degeneration started to take some of his eyesight, he had to give up woodworking and engraving, but he found another passion. In 2002, a friend suggested he use his love of the U.S. Navy by becoming a docent for the Naval Museum at Nauticus aboard the USS Wisconsin Battleship.
Since he had served on the USS Wisconsin for six months in 1947, he jumped at the chance and was still actively explaining the history of the ship to visitors, helping to lead tours below decks and was preparing to go to the ‘ship’ on the morning he fell ill. Doc was the oldest docent on the USS Wisconsin and holds the current record of over 12,000 volunteer hours, for which he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for the Presidents Call to Service from the president of the United States.
Doc was also a plank owner of the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. Lastly, Doc was a proud 62-year member of the Masons, A.F. & A.M., having originally joined Perseverance Lodge No. 208 in Indian Head, Md., and a current member of Norview Lodge No. 113, Norfolk.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday April 6, at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 6329 E. Virginia Beach Blvd., Norfolk, with Masonic rites and military honors. The Rev. Dr. James Robert Pipkin III will be officiating.
In lieu of flowers, feel free to make a donation to your favorite charity in Doc’s name.
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