John Russell Shook

John R. Shook, Sr., died Sunday morning at his home in Kissimmee, FL where he had been a resident for the past 19 years. He went to sleep Saturday evening, and woke to a glorious reunion with his Savior in heaven. He lived 83 years, and leaves behind a legacy of service to family, community and his Lord. John was born 20 May 1928 in Wheeling, WV, and was the first of five children born to Elva and Russell Shook. The family moved to Cleveland, OH, where during high school he met Mary Lou Coleman whom he married in 1947 and who has been his wife for more than 64 years. John is survived by his wife; one brother, Donald, of Makaha, HI; and sixteen of his seventeen children; 52 grandchildren; and 73 great grandchildren (and more on the way!) In 1956, John became a firefighter in Painesville, OH. While there he worked in both fire and rescue efforts. In the late 60’s, he was chosen to work closely with Dr. Cahill to create a paramedic program in the city, which became the template for paramedic programs throughout the state. Dr. Cahill and John worked closely with fire departments in many communities to train and organize paramedic programs, along with initializing educational programs in institutions such as Ohio State University. At the rank Captain, John was medically retired due to major lung damage discovered after being overcome in a fire at a paper mill. After working as a safety inspector for the Lake County Engineers, John was selected to be the first Fire Chief at the new Perry Nuclear Power Plant during its construction. Throughout those years he also served his community in many aspects, including dozens of Fire Prevention Week demonstrations, training CPR through the Painesville YMCA and Red Cross, and as a lifeguard in youth camps. He also served actively as a lay leader and teacher at Bible Community Church in Mentor, OH, and at Calvary Baptist Church in Painesville. John’s lung problems continued to plague him, and in 1992 he was diagnosed with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1). Because of his exposure over the years to smoke, this enzyme deficiency particularly attacked his lungs and made winters in Ohio a challenge for him. So he began spending the winters in Kissimmee, finally becoming a permanent resident in 1996. With full retirement, he became busier than ever as a community leader in his residence at Kissimmee Gardens, and as a teacher, Sunday School lesson author and lay leader at Gateway Baptist Church. Viewing will be held on Wednesday, Dec 14th, 5:00-8:00 PM at the Osceola Memory Gardens, 1717 Old Boggy Creek Road, Kissimmee, FL 34744. The funeral service will take place on Thursday morning, 10:00 AM, at John’s church, Gateway Baptist Church, 2601 Partin Settlement Rd, Kissimmee, FL, 34744. The service will be officiated by two of John’s sons-in-law, Pastor Jerome Matt of Huntington, WV, and Pastor Richard Sutherland, Sr., of Jacksonville, NC. Flowers may be sent to Osceola Memory Gardens, 1717 Old Boggy Creek Road, Kissimmee, FL 34744 before the Wednesday viewing. Or donations may be made to the Alpha-1 Foundation for their efforts to battle this challenging disease (www.alpha-1foundation.org/help).

John Russell Shook

May 20, 1928 - December 11, 2011