George H. Shames

In Memoriam - George Shames

SHAMES GEORGE H. On Sunday, March 1, 2015. Beloved husband of Joan "Josie" (Kramer) Shames; cherished father of Hilary Julia Shames and Matthew Eric Shames (Jennifer McGarrity); brother-in-law of Ann (late Lloyd) Kramer, the late Barbara (late Jack) Shore, the late Vida (late Nicholas) Demas; grandfather of Lisa and Heidi Langhorst and Ella and Jackson Shames; uncle of Erika (Barry) Wofsy, Deborah Shore (Andy Henson), Dr. David Shore (Karen Catoe), Benita "Bonnie" (Joseph) Dombrowski, Rebecca Demas, Geoffrey Kramer and Benjamin Kramer. George was a WWII veteran serving in the U.S. Navy in Pearl Harbor. He was a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh having earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees and also was a letterman in baseball. Upon graduating, George became a professor of Communication Disorders and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, in which position he served for 40 years. He wrote and edited numerous textbooks in the area of speech pathology. He received numerous awards and honors, including being named as a Fellow of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), and in 2006 received ASHA's highest recognition with the Honors of the Association award for lifetime achievement. He lectured all over the world in his special interest in stuttering. He developed an innovative therapy toward treatment of stuttering disorders. After his retirement, George wrote mystery novels including "The Company of Truth" which was published in 2005. He was also elected to the Western PA Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. George enjoyed traveling, a good cigar and watching sports on TV. Services at RALPH SCHUGAR CHAPEL, INC., 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside on Wednesday at 11 a.m. Visitation one hour prior to services (10 - 11 a.m.). Interment Homewood Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Alzheimer Disease Research Center, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. (published in the Schugar Funeral Home obituaries - http://www.schugar.com/obituaries?id=820 and Pittsburgh Post Gazette http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?n=george-h-shames&pid=174297880&fhid=4365)

Professional Contributions

  • Numerous articles and book chapters including
  • Professional Books

    Other professional contributions

  • Audio of George Shames speaking at the 1984 ASHA Convention panel in memory of Joseph Sheehan.
  • Teaching Older People to Become Better Listeners to Avoid Alienating Others script and audio of interview with George Shames on VOA Learning English.

    Other Publications

  • Shames, George H (2006) The Company of Truth, Towers Maguire Publishing