Stephen Shimko
Stephen Robert Shimko, 85, of Gatesville, passed away on the morning of Feb. 16, 2020, surrounded by his family.
Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Scott’s Funeral Home with burial following in Oakwood Cemetery in Hamilton. Visitation with the family will be Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Stephen was born April 27, 1934, in The Bronx, New York, to Stephen J. Shimko and Gladys Frawley Shimko. He grew up and attended school in Norwalk, Connecticut, and volunteered for the army in 1953. He first arrived in Texas at Fort Bliss, El Paso, and later was stationed at North Fort Hood.
After completing courses at Texas A&M University in water treatment and analysis, he became the water supervisor and analyst for the City of Hamilton and the City of Lampasas. He married Melba Jean Taylor on May 25, 1956, in Hamilton, and they had two children, Kimberly Shimko Chumley and Stephen Allen Shimko.
Steve and Melba spent 10 years traveling the world and making new friends as Melba led the Heritage Club of First Texas Bank of Lampasas. After retirement, road trips led them throughout New England, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas, always on the lookout for a treasured antique or a special piece of rusty junk.
He never met a stranger and was affectionately known as “that Connecticut Yankee.”
Steve loved taking his grandchildren and great-grandchildren camping and hunting and teaching them how to catch that big fish.
He was preceded in death by his son, Stephen Allen Shimko; grandson Callan Shimko Chumley; parents Stephen J. Shimko and Gladys Frawley Shimko; sister Beverly Swett; brother Donald Shimko; in-laws, Allen and Olivia Taylor; brother-in-law, Billy Bob Taylor; and sister-in-law, Erma Taylor.
Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Melba Shimko; daughter, Kimberly Shimko Chumley and husband Gary; grandchildren Keegan Chumley Webb and husband Shane, Zachary L. Shimko Chumley and wife Shannon and Zane Stephen Chumley and wife Kayla; great-grandchildren, Callen Webb, Camden Webb, Hayes Chumley, Ellie Chumley, Harper Chumley and Adlee Chumley; and numerous nieces and nephews.
