Thomas Yeakley Shook, 79 of Springfield, Missouri, was born November 30, 1932 and was received into the Kingdom of Heaven on December 29, 2011.
Tom was born the youngest son to Wm. Edwin and Mae Lorene (Brown) Shook in western Greene County Missouri and was raised on the family farm to know what hard work was. He was an avid baseball and basketball player with numerous accomplishments in those sports. Tom attended Republic High School, where he met the love of his life, Betty S. Walker. They both graduated in the spring of 1950 and were wed on December 10, 1950 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Springfield. They have attended Trinity faithfully for the 61 years they shared their lives together.
Tom served his country in the Korean War as a Third Class Petty Officer in the US Navy, Pacific Theater. He was aboard the USS Warrick, an attack cargo ship.
Tom began his career in real estate in 1958 and in the 1970’s he entered the auction profession. He was a Past-President of the Missouri Auctioneers Association and was later inducted in the the Missouri Auctioneer’s Hall of Fame.
Tom loved the family farm, gardening, and the family deer camps he organized over the years in southern Missouri. His family was the center of his attention and he and Betty were a huge part of their grandchildrens lives.
He is survived by his loving wife Betty, two sons, Tom E. and wife Kimberly, Springfield, Mo., Tim and wife Chris, New Braunfels Tx.; six grandchildren: Meagen Duran and husband Joe, Michael Shook and wife Adrienne, Morgan Covert and husband Shawn, Rebecca Rose Shook, Timothy Christian “Kit” Shook, and Caleb Walker Shook. He is also survived by five great-grandsons, three step-great-grandsons and one step-great-granddaughter, a brother, Wm. F. “Bill” Shook, Springfield, Mo, and his daughters Cindy Shook and Lori Cox, a sister Margaret Marti’ and her husband Leo, Pittsburgh, Pa., their sons David, Evan, and Eric, other nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests any memorial contributions be made to Trinity Lutheran Church or The Salvation Army.
Arrangements are under the direction of Greenlawn South. Visitation will begin at 10 am on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1516 S. Holland Ave, Springfield, Missouri with the funeral service beginning at 11 am at the church. Burial, with full military honors will be at 1 pm at Missouri Veterans Cemetery, off Evans Rd.