Mercedes G. Shoemaker

Age 94, of Upper St. Clair, on Wednesday February 14, 2018. She was born on October 2, 1923 in Chicago, IL, daughter of the late John J. Golden and Sallanah Helen Hawkins Golden. Wife of the late G. Albert Shoemaker, retired President of Consolidation Coal Company, whom she married on March 18, 1967. Mr. Shoemaker died on December 7, 1990. She was a  graduate of Purdue University in 1945 with a BS in Economics, and then took some additional elective courses at Robert Morris and the University of Pittsburgh. While in college, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority and served as an officer in the chapter. She continued to be active in the alumna organization and also serving on the Advisory Board of the Carnegie Mellon Chapter and later on House Corporation of the University of Pittsburgh Chapter. Merdie worked for US Steel, as did her father, in Gary, IN and then Pittsburgh for over 20 years. Mr. Shoemaker was a very active Penn State Alum and kept Mercedes involved in all of his affairs, both business and volunteer activities. As a result, her activities at Penn State involved working with the annual Ethics Lecture in the College of Business Administration and the annual Mineral Engineering Lecture in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences for the Penn State Capital Campaign. Mercedes was elected an Honorary Penn State Alum in the year 2000. She served for nine years on the Board of Directors of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and was elected Emerita Director of the Seminary Board and served on three committees including the Capital Campaign. Merdie served on the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Christian Education, headquartered in Pittsburgh, serving college campuses in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. She had a passion for fly fishing and enjoyed  her time with the Harpster family at Spruce Creek. Friends will be received at Laughlin Cremation & Funeral Tributes 222 Washington Road Mt. Lebanon on Sunday 3-5 PM. Services will be held Monday at 9:30 AM in Westminster Presbyterian Church 2040 Washington Rd. Pittsburgh, PA 15241. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)  Foundation for the Merdie Shoemaker Scleroderma Research Fund 18 Bee St, MSC 450, Charleston, SC 29425. (843)792-2677  https://connect2.musc.edu.medicine

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