La Verne Maria “LVM” Shelton

Shelton—La Verne Maria “LVM” Shelton, 79, on February 15, 2025, after a long struggle with cancer, at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester, Vt. LVM was born on May 23, 1945, the third of four children of Forest Nathaniel Shelton and Agnes Priscilla Woolridge Shelton, in Louisville, Ky. Her brother, Forest Nathaniel, was 18 years older, and sister, Elizabeth “Priscilla,” 13 years older. A younger sister, Myra Lynette, died in adolescence.

A prominent theme in LVM’s life was music. Her godmother gave her piano lessons when she was no older than four, and she sang in the junior church choir. By age 12, she was co-leading a choir of young children, hired to play the piano for monthly Sunday school assemblies, and enrolled at the University of Louisville Preparatory Department where she was immersed in music. In 1967, she graduated from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vt., with a double major in math and music. She continued to play in small ensembles and to sing in choruses throughout her life, most recently the local Vermont Onion River Chorus and the Burlington Choral Society.

LVM earned a doctorate in philosophy with a minor in mathematics from the University of Minnesota in 1976. She received the Trailblazer Award from the Collegium of Black Women Philosophers in 2009. LVM taught philosophy at a variety of institutions including Rutgers, Haverford, College of Charleston, and the University of Wisconsin. She received a master’s degree in social work with a concentration in mental health in 2002 from the University of Wisconsin and subsequently worked at Yahara House, a community-based program in Madison for people living with mental illness.

LVM was married to Klaus Leeb, a mathematics professor, and together they traveled widely, living in Germany, England, and Canada (1968–1978).

LVM often spoke truth to power. She was stalwart in raising issues of white privilege and white supremacy locally as well as nationally. LVM was both a student and Friend in Residence at Pendle Hill study center in Wallingford, Pa.; regularly led well-attended workshops at Friends General Conference (FGC) Gatherings; served on FGC’s Committee for Ministry on Racism; and served on FGC’s Central Committee. She was a valued elder at the Faithfulness Group Trainings for New England Yearly Meeting and served on NEYM’s Noticing Patterns Working Group. She wrote articles and poetry which appeared in Friends Journal, in addition to books of poetry and a memoir. In 2018, she was arrested while occupying the Vermont Statehouse as part of the revival of the Poor People’s Campaign.

LVM centered her life in the Spirit. She was a longtime member of Madison (Wis.) Meeting and sojourned with many Friends meetings (Haverford, Pa.; Princeton, N.J.; Charleston, S.C.; and Greene Street in Philadelphia, Pa.) before transferring her membership to Plainfield (Vt.) Meeting in 2013. LVM was drawn to mentoring, especially youth, resulting in deep and long-lasting friendships. As a Ministry and Counsel member, she took seriously the charge to tend to the spiritual health of the meeting. She created a midweek group called Holy Experiment, modeled after a midweek group in Greene Street Meeting. She was a frequent attender of the Burlington Midweek Worship Group and later Burlington (Vt.) Meeting.

LVM is survived by her niece, Jean Lynn Walker, only child of her sister Elizabeth “Priscilla” Shelton Walker; a sister-in-law, Thurlean Shelton; and cousins.