Gary A. Shollenberger, 69, life companion of Cathy A. Knapp, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 10, 2026, following a brief illness.
Born in Pottstown, he was the son of the late Irvin L. Shollenberger and Betty J. (Egolf) Shollenberger.
Gary worked at Pottstown Hospital for 31 years. Gary was filled with personality and was the life of the party in social settings. He could talk to anyone and always had the ability to make people laugh. The ocean was Gary’s favorite place to get away. He loved going to the beach and surfing. He and Cathy enjoyed staying at their trailer in Holgate in Long Beach Island, NJ. Together, they liked to collect and paint seashells for the “Sea Change Garden” that Gary created for all beach goers. They also enjoyed riding bikes down the Boulevard and feeding Gary’s favorite seagull “Fatboy.”
Surviving along with Cathy, the love of his life for 45 years, are his brothers Tom Shollenberger, husband of Lisa; Jim Shollenberger, husband of Andi; and Todd Shollenberger, husband of Fran; Cathy’s siblings; and many nieces and nephews.
Services will be held privately by the family.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Gary’s name to Alliance for a Living Ocean (7401 Long Beach Blvd #2181, Long Beach, NJ 08008) or to the Surfrider Foundation (https://www.surfrider.org/).