Sterl F. Shinaberry, 87, of Vero Beach, Florida, formerly of Charleston, died Thursday, December 12, 2024, following a battle with cancer; he was surrounded by family and friends.
Born in Clover Lick, he was a son of the late Drusilla Grimes and Bedford Lee Shinaberry, he was the 10th of 12 children; two of whom died in infancy.
Sterl spent his first two years of schooling in a one room schoolhouse ultimately graduating in 1955 from Marlinton High School. During his high school years, he played football and baseball and was inducted into the National Honor Society. While in high school, he lived with Georgia Poage, an aunt who was a major influence in his life and he assisted her in running her 600-acre farm. As a junior in high school, he joined the Army Reserves and served until he was honorably discharged in 1962.
Sterl was the only one of his siblings who attended college, enrolling at West Virginia Tech and working summers and throughout the school years to pay for his education. He was an active leader in college life as President of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, President of Pan Hellenic Counsel, VP of the Student Council, and was “Senior of the Year” when he graduated with a B.S. in Accounting in 1960. He continued his studies in Morgan- town, receiving his M.B.A. in 1961 and, in 1964, he graduated from the West Virginia University College of Law.
After graduation, he began work at United States District Court in West Virginia, then served as a clerk for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, VA.
In 1978, he was admitted to United States Supreme Court Bar.
Sterl entered private practice in Bluefield, but shortly thereafter joined a firm in Welch to form Ballard and Shinaberry.
In 1964, he moved to Charleston, and established Hostler and Shinaberry with the name evolving over time ultimately to Shinaberry, Meade and Venezia. After 33 years of practicing law, Sterl retired in 1997.
During his lifetime, Sterl was involved in many charities such as the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Hibiscus Children’s Foundation, VNA Hospice and Planned Parenthood of Indian River County.
Sterl was a formidable trial attorney who was well known for his successful defense of clients, many of whom could not defend themselves. He practiced civil litigation, specializing in personal injury, construction law, workman’s compensation, wrongful death and product liability.
He presented cases before the Supreme Court of the United States in addition to cases at the state level.
He was known to be one of the leading asbestos attorneys in West Virginia, associated with Motley-Rice national counsel, and influential in the development of asbestos law across the nation.
He successfully represented cases against large corporations such as Union Carbide, Dupont and FMC that resulted in improving workers compensation and consumer protection law in multiple states.
On April 27, 1978, a cooling tower under construction at the Pleasants Power Station at Willow Island, collapsed resulting in 51 deaths and was considered to be one of the worst construction accidents in U.S. history. Sterl presented evidence proving that failure of the scaffolding was the cause of the accident.
In 1984, a chemical accident at a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, owned by Union Carbide, a subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Co., killed 2,259 people and injured more than half a million. Experts estimated that 8,000 died within two weeks and thousands more have since died, and more still suffer health complications, making it one of the worst industrial accidents in history. He represented many of the victims and sought justice for their families who suffered from the tragedy.
Sterl is survived by his daughter, Ann Darwish, and husband, David, of Naples, Florida; and many beloved nieces and nephews.
The family expresses heartfelt gratitude to his cherished family of friends who shared in Sterl’s life. His joy for life and generous caring spirit will be profoundly missed.
A celebration of life is planned for Friday, March 7, 2025, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Cox-Gifford Seawinds Funeral Home in Vero Beach, Florida.
A celebration of life will be held in Charleston at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hibiscus Children’s Foundation, Planned Parenthood, and the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation of Charleston, in support of scholarships for higher education.
