Roll Call Tribute

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Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home North
3125 N Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78705
info@wcfish.com
Tel. (512) 452-8811

Shelburne J. Veselka
Born: July 3, 1943
Died: April 7, 2015
Location: Austin, Texas

Shelburne J. Veselka 
(July 3, 1943-April 7, 2015)

Shelly Veselka was a son, husband, father, soldier, attorney and faithful friend. He was also a professional traveler, spreading his generous spirit worldwide. In the course of his life, he criss-crossed the state of Texas hundreds of times, explored the United States from coast-to-coast, served a military stint in Vietnam and vacationed in far-flung corners of the globe. He was always on the move and he made friends at every stop along the way.

Shelburne Jay Veselka began his life's journey in Port Arthur, Texas on July 3, 1943; the first child born to parents Ervin Otto and Geraldine (Shelburne) Veselka. Other notable births that year at St. Mary's Hospital were rock and roller Janis Joplin and legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmie Johnson. Shelly Made his first cross-country trip at the age of six weeks, flying with his mother to join his soldier father stationed in California.

After discharge from the service in early 1946, Shelly's father began his career as a petroleum engineer and the family moved frequently from oilfield to oilfield. In his early years, Shelly lived in Beeville, Woodsboro, Refugio, Pettus, Chase Field and Tyler, Texas. The seventh through ninth grades were spent in Houma, Louisiana learning to love K.C. dance halls and rock and roll music. By the time Shelly reached high school age, the family had settled permanently in the Houston area. Shelly attended Lanier Middle School and Bellaire High School, graduating in 1960.

After high school, Shelly followed his father's path to Texas A&M where he was a member of the Aggie Corps, Company E-2 (Reveille's outfit). He received his degree in history in May 1964 and immediately entered the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant.

The year 1964 brought several dramatic changes to his life. While in his senior year at A&M, he married Betty Ann Briggs. Just days after his graduation in May, the newlyweds were on their way to his first army post at Fort Benning, Georgia. Soon he was in Fort Sill, Oklahoma for two months of artillery training, returning to Fort Benning for jump school and an assignment to an artillery unit supporting the infantry school. During Shelly's second stint at Fort Benning, his first child, Shelburne Jay Jr., was born.

From Fort Benning, he was transferred to Fort Holabird, Maryland for six months. In December 1966, Shelly was sent to Vietnam to serve as an intelligence advisor, stationed at Sa Dec in the Mekong Delta. His year-long tour of duty in country earned him a combat infantry badge, a bronze star and a purple heart – he would carry a small bit of shrapnel in his chin as a souvenir for the remainder of his life. He returned from Vietnam in December 1967 and spent the remainder of his military career in Washington, D.C. in the Defense Intelligence Agency specializing in aerial reconnaissance and photography. Captain Veselka was honorably discharged in September 1969 and the family, now including second child Melissa, who was born in Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., returned home to Texas.

Upon returning from Vietnam, Shelly decided to study law and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in December 1971 from the University of Texas Law School. While in law school, third child Christopher was born.

Just a few months before graduation, he interviewed with the McCreary and Huey law firm in Austin, little suspecting that he had found his working home for the next 44 years. Starting as a junior member of the firm, he began working for all levels of local government across the state of Texas, specializing in the collection of delinquent ad valorem taxes. Daughter, Amy, was born during the early years of his employment.

Shelly was instrumental in forming the character of the McCreary firm, shaking things up as the young attorney with new ideas, proving his worth and seeing his name added to the masthead in 1979. In 1984, he became a principal partner in the firm. He guided McCreary, Veselka, Bragg and Allen for the remainder of his life.

Shelly's professional life involved constant travel as he tended to his clients' needs. An average year found him speeding along in his maroon car with the TEX A*M license plates from one end of the state to the other, clocking an average 40,000 miles annually (well over 1.5 million miles over the course of his career). Vacations were also on the go with family, sports teams and friends to far off locales like Australia, England, France, Germany, Italy and Mexico.

Shelly never met a stranger, looking on each new acquaintance as a potential lifelong friend. He approached each new encounter without a trace of prejudice and withheld judgment until he had time to evaluate each person on their merits. He counted people from every walk of life in his vast legion of friends. He inspired great loyalty in his employees, sweeping them along in his wake, happy to have them beside him for the ride as he embraced his work and his outside interests. He liked nothing better than to assemble a large group for an evening of fellowship and once played host to his office team members on a group vacation in Cabo San Lucas. He was generous to a fault, especially in terms of his time and attention to those in his intimate circle. You could always count on hearing from him on birthdays and anniversaries and receiving regular calls simply to check on you. Little upset his cheerful disposition and he was always ready with a sympathetic ear.

Much of Shelly's philosophy of life was inspired by his core beliefs that family and friends come first, followed closely by professional ethics. He took great pride in being an old-school native-born Texas gentleman, always consciously seeking to take care of the needs of family, friends and clients. He approached problems to be solved, conflicts to be settled and community issues to be addressed in a calm, fair-minded way that allowed him to take a position best serving the majority.

Shelly gave his time and support to many organizations on home and work fronts. He was a member of Tarrytown Methodist Church, served as manager for son Christopher's youth soccer team, spent time on the board of his homeowners association and frequently served as relief bartender for the legendary Dry Creek Café. He was a longtime member of the Texas Association of Assessing Officers, the Tax Assessor-Collectors Association, the Texas Association of School Boards, the Texas Association of Appraisal Districts and was an organizing member of the Annual Legal Seminar for ad valorem taxation. Combing his personal and professional interests, he participated in the formation of the Texas Aggie Bar Association.

In June 2001, Shelly embarked on a new life journey and partnership when he married Brenda Hermes. Her old soul and his young heart melded the years between them, resulting in a great love story. The couple added daughter Victoria Pearl to the family in 2007 and he re-experienced the joys and challenges of new fatherhood, an opportunity he embraced with enthusiasm.

Shelly was an ardent sports fan. He faithfully followed his Aggies and supported them at every opportunity. In fact, his lifelong love for his Aggies was highlighted by the recent letter received from Coach R.C. Slocum and phone call from Coach Kevin Sumlin. He could always be counted on to provide an educated view on the latest news in football, baseball, basketball, soccer and nearly any other sport. Shelly was also more than an observer; whenever his busy schedule would allow, he could be found on the nearest golf course working on lowering his handicap.

Shelly never lost his appetite for learning. He read voraciously, devouring topics from history to science to biography to fiction. In early, more reckless days, he was known to catch up on his magazine reading while driving the long stretches of lonesome road in West Texas.

Shelly was preceded in death by his mother, Geraldine, and brother, Robert. He is survived by his wife Brenda Veselka of Austin; father Ervin Veselka of Houston; sons Jay of Corpus Christi and Christopher of Austin; daughters Melissa McManis and husband Rob, Amy Owen and husband Hunter and Victoria Veselka, all of Austin; brothers Van and wife Lucy Veselka of Middleburg, Virginia, and Larry and wife Celia Veselka of Houston; sister Elinor Crank and husband Richard of Volente; grandchildren Ashton, Lindsay and Trevor McManis and Jake and Callie Owen, all of Austin; many extended family and innumerable friends worldwide.

Shelly's last journey was one of grace and dignity. He remained cheerful, engaged in life, and continued to work and live his life fully to his last day. He refused to let an unrelenting opponent rob him of his zest for life.

In fitting tribute to this fine Texan, a memorial service will be held at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum on Saturday, April 11, 2015 at 3:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to: Capitol School of Austin – Veselka Scholarship Fund, 2011 W. Koenig Lane, Austin, TX 78756