Donnie Shoemaker was a quiet man. He even laughed quietly. If he thought something was humorous, a slow smile would cross his face. His co-workers’ descriptions of him are similar: “slow and steady wins the race,” “easy going,” “soft spoken,” “laid-back,” and “a worker not a talker.” Getting in a hurry was not his style, and if he didn’t understand how something worked, he kept at it until he figured it out. He was a dedicated and hardworking employee, willing to learn new technologies. If you asked him a question and he did not have an immediate answer, you can bet he had an answer for you by the end of the day. He could southern engineer most anything and make it work. He was a natural at fixing stuff, and sometimes out of the blue, he would treat his co-workers to a tasty afternoon snack of ice cream drumsticks, just because.
Donnie was an amazing cook. He could take any type of meat and turn it into a work of art. Donnie put family first. He was proud of his wife Linda and his daughters Jamie and Dana. Jamie is the mother of his three wonderful grandkids, and Dana proudly serves her country in the US Air Force. He even kept Dana’s combat boots from basic training in his cubicle.
Donnie Shoemaker passed away on Wednesday, October 5, 2011. He will be missed as a husband, father, grandfather, co-worker, friend, and cook. Rest well, Shoe.
