Cleo Eli Shivers Sr.'s Obituary
Obituary: Cleo Eli Shivers SrCleo Eli Shivers Sr was born July 24th, 1928 in Henry County Georgia. He is the youngest of 9 children born to Walter Shivers and Hattie Crockett-Shivers. When Cleo was a young boy his family moved to McDonough Georgia where Cleo attended elementary and middle school. To assist his parents with financial obligations Cleo picked cotton and other crops along with his siblings. In 1946, with only an 8th grade, he dropped out of school and enlisted in the Unites States Navy as a cook to better financially support his mother. Following his enlistment in the navy Cleo took on a new name, Chuck. Chuck’s main passion was family. At the age of 17 he married his first wife, Maggie, and from this union came daughter Katherine Elaine. Years later Chuck met and married his soul mate, Gereather Stella Jones. Together Chuck and Gereather parented five children. Chuck was a hard-working man. As the primary breadwinner, in addition to his military service, Chuck took on several part time jobs. After serving 22 years in the navy as a promoted Executive Chef, Chuck accepted employment with the US Postal Service, working his way up from custodian to Maintenance Supervisor. During his tenure with the postal service, Chuck found time to go back to school to complete his high school education and a year of college. Chuck’s drive for excellent performance was exemplified by his success in completing his basic education and gaining recognition through promotions. When not working so hard, Chuck spent his leisure time stirring up soul food in the kitchen. Chuck wasn’t a fast food fan – nothing but home cooked meals would do. For holidays, he would cook the entire meal, from the turkey and dressing right down to the sweet potato, blueberry and apple pies with made from scratch pie crust. To bless his church family, Brother Shivers enjoyed making barbeque pig fit for the annual black history events. Chuck also had a green thumb. In addition to having one of the most manicured lawns on Skyline Drive, he also enjoyed gardening. On any given day you would find collard greens, string beans, tomatoes, okra and bell peppers growing in his garden however his most precious prize was his strawberry patch. As a proud grandpa, Chuck found great pleasure in presenting his grandchildren with a good ole juicy strawberry, or two. Chuck and Gereather (Geri) worked together in the Skyline community on several neighborhood projects. Most people in the Skyline community will remember him most as the “watermelon man” who sold seasonal watermelons out of his red truck. After serving 20 years with the postal service, in 1992 Chuck began a new career as a retired husband, father and grandpa. From ‘honey do’ projects from his sweetheart to ‘daddy please make me some collard greens” or ‘grandpa can we take a ride in your truck’, Chuck enjoyed serving his family. Some of his other favorite past times included playing dominos, walking his dog and having Sunday dinner cooked and waiting for his beloved Gereather after church service. Depending on what time you came over to visit in the evening, you could find Chuck watching Judge Judy, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy or cowboy westerns. Chuck was a loving, peaceful and grateful husband, father, grandpa, neighbor and friend. One of his memorable phrases is ‘WONDERFUL’. His contagious smile and heartfelt laughter is a reminder of how ‘WONDERFUL’ he was to us. Chuck is preceded in death by his loving wife Gereather Stella Shivers, his parents, siblings, grandson Truvoy Washington and son-in-law Phillip Calahan. He leaves to cherish his memories children, Katherine Elaine Calahan (Phillip Calahan-deceased), Caryn Stephanie Jones, Reginald Darnell Jones, Joyce Elaine Eley (Dennis), Denise Octavia Williams (Foster), Cleo Eli Shivers Jr., 11 grandchildren, 32 great grandchildren, 9 great -grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
What’s your fondest memory of Cleo?
What’s a lesson you learned from Cleo?
Share a story where Cleo's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Cleo you’ll never forget.
How did Cleo make you smile?