John A. Shuman, III

Noted Teacher, Author, and Businessman

John A. Shuman, III, age 84, of Bloomsburg, died on Thursday August 18, 2022 at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville surrounded by his loved ones.

A lifelong resident of Pennsylvania, he was born on October 3, 1937 at the Bloomsburg Hospital during fair week, a son of the late John A. and Thelma E. (Kitchen) Shuman.

He was active in sports including baseball, basketball, and bowling. He had the honor of participating in the Jr. State Bowling Championship at Williamsport.

His memberships include the Bloomsburg Fair, former Moose Club, Bloomsburg Elks, the former Bloomsburg Lions Club, and ROTC. Others included the Smithsonian Assn., Nature Conservancy, PA State Antique Assn., Antiques Appraisals Assn. of America, Mount Washington Art Glass Society, The National Early American Glass Club, and American Brilliant Cut Glass Assn.

Shuman taught Senior High School English at Owen J. Roberts High School in Pottstown. He also worked for Delaware Community College and Springford High School. His career spanned 35 years. He also taught summer school and adult evening school at all three schools.

His hobbies were buying, selling, and collecting antiques, refinishing furniture, lecturing live on television and radio. He wrote and had published 12 books on antiques and collectibles. Shuman traveled and researched glass, china, primitives, arts and crafts, collectibles, and associated antiques.

He owned rental properties, Jasel antiques, and Town Perk restaurant, all in Bloomsburg.

Shuman graduated from the Ben Franklin Training School, Bloomsburg High School, Wyoming Seminary, Bloomsburg University, and Pennsylvania State University.

Travels to the British Isles and 16 European countries permitted him to visit renowned museums, well-known sites, galleries, and historical societies, both in the United States and Europe.  

He wrote more than 1,000 articles that were published in Collector’s News, The New York Antique Journal, The Antique Trader Weekly, Antiques Journal, The Antique Trader Price Guide to Antiques, The Historical View of Berks County, The Historical Yellow Springs Catalogue, and Glass Collectors Digest. He also created American and European Art Glass videos for Award Videos and Film Distributors in Sarasota FL. He wrote a weekly column in the Sunday edition of the West Chester Daily Local on general antiques (1988-1999). In June 2003, he gave the keynote address on open glass salts at the 8^th national convention in Cherry Hill, NJ.

Shuman’s 12 books include: Art Glass Sampler, Lion Pattern Glass, A Spiritual Journey, Warman’s Native American Collectibles, Collector’s Encyclopedia of American Art Glass (2 editions), Collectors Encyclopedia of Gaudy Dutch and Welsh (2 editions), Art Glass Identification and Price Guide (2 editions), and TV Lamps to Light the World.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, John A. Shuman IV, on March 14, 2019.

Surviving are his wife, the former Carol A. (Moyer) Shuman; a daughter, Crysta, wife of Jeffrey Winton, of North Fort Myers, FL; two sons, Eric Neeper, and his spouse Lenden Neeper, of Colorado, and Elliot, and his spouse Thomas Hoy, of Riverside; and three grandchildren: Julianna, Gianna, and Weston Winton.

Private services will be held at the convenience of the family with the Rev. Dr. Joel L. Zeiders, pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church, officiating. Entombment will be in the Shuman family mausoleum in New Rosemont Cemetery in Espy.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Dean W. Kriner Inc. Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 325 Market St., Bloomsburg.