Positivity and generosity were staples in the life of Dr. William M. Shue.

Shue, 77, was a physician and general surgeon at York Hospital for 35 years. He died Friday from complications after surgery.

“He was a very, very positive person,” said his daughter, Elizabeth Wong of Dillsburg.

“Even as I called his friends to let them know, they said you just don't find so many positive people like him anymore. They all commented that he was very generous and very positive.”

A graduate of Spring Grove Area High School and resident of York Township, Shue celebrated 55 years of marriage to his wife, Nelda, in June. They had two daughters and seven grandchildren.

“Our phone always rang in the middle of the night, and he would rush to the hospital,” Wong said. “We said, ‘Do you ever sleep, Dad?'”

Never complained: He was always ready to go and never had a complaint about his job, she said.

“He took the time to develop personal relationships with people. It wasn't just about the surgery, but following up and having a relationship with them,” said his daughter Margaret Shue of Newton, Mass. “He really treated everyone equally.”

With several other doctors from York, he served as a surgeon in the U.S. Army Medical Corps for a tour in Vietnam.

“Those were hard years for them; they saw a lot,” Wong said. “But that gave him a ton of experience with surgery, because he was just doing surgeries right and left and not getting a break.”

He gave a presentation about Vietnam at his daughters' school when he returned and was always willing to share his experiences, Wong said.

Passion for travel: He and his wife traveled the world together and were supposed to be in France this weekend, but he found out he needed to have surgery instead. Shue loved to research each trip and give books to his grandchildren about the places that he traveled.

He loved the Philadelphia Phillies but enjoyed following his grandchildren's' sports even more, attending as many of their games as possible.

Shue worked out religiously, going to the gym every morning at 6 a.m.

He would eat a great meal and say “that was the best meal ever,” said Wong. His favorite foods ranged from Texas Hot Wieners in Hanover to crème brulee and chocolate mousse.

Love for life: He valued each of his friendships immensely and had many lifelong friends in York County, his daughters said.

“My dad had a great love of life. He really enjoyed doing things to the fullest,” said Margaret Shue.

His faith was the cornerstone of his life; he taught his family to work hard to their fullest potential and to enjoy what was around them, she said.

He was fun-loving and had a great sense of humor, and if he did something he wanted to do it right, she said.

“He was just sort of an all-around great guy, and you know behind every great guy is a great woman and he couldn't have done it all without (his wife),” said Margaret Shue.

— Reach Chelsea Shank at 505-5432 or cshank@yorkdispatch.com