It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Albert “Bert” Shock, an Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton volunteer who was lovingly referred to as “Popcorn Bert.” He died on Oct. 3, at the age of 94.  

When his wife, Juanita, died in 2007, he was moved to volunteer with us. In 2019, at the age of 91, Bert retired from his volunteer work, but could not stay away. He came out of retirement just one month after retiring! He volunteered with us for almost 15 years.  

His first volunteer job at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton was processing the mail. That was a perfect fit for him. He had been a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier for 30 years in the Dayton area. On his first day as a volunteer, he assessed the mail situation and determined it needed to be better organized. The following day, he brought in a roll of masking tape, wrote down the names of the departments, and alphabetized the mail to be delivered. Throughout the years, he delivered the mail with a smile and a greeting. He also shared comics, funny stories and jokes with people along his mail route at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton.  

He purchased a popcorn machine and donated it to Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton. On Popcorn Fridays, he ran the popcorn stand near the café at the Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton Hospice House. He held a record of popping 128 bags of popcorn in one day. Bert volunteered a total of 7,902 hours at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton.  

“Bert will be greatly missed,” said Maureen Swarts, manager of Volunteer Services at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton. “We’re honored and privileged to have known Bert and worked alongside him for so many years. We appreciate his years of service as a volunteer.”  

A funeral service for Bert was held on Oct. 10. To view Bert’s obituary, click here.   

To read more about Bert’s time volunteering, click here. 

If Bert’s story has inspired you to volunteer, click here to learn more about how you can make a difference in the lives of our patients and families.