November 24, 1938 – October 22, 2025

Harvey Adolf Shimek was born on November 24, 1938 in Engle, TX to Fredrich Shimek and Frances Kobza. He lived on the family farm until he was 18. While living on the farm, he and his siblings helped their parents with milking cows, pigs, chickens, planting and harvesting sugar cane for molasses, corn, and cotton. He moved to Houston in the late 50’s before joining the Army in 1957. He received the rank of Specialist-4.  In 1959 he received an Honorable Discharge.

Harvey began working in the early 1960’s at 3P Performance Plastics Products (formerly John L. Dore’ then Peabody and Dore’) for 43 years. He was a lead machinist. He also became a company Union representative and a Chief Steward from 1975 to 2003.

He machined steel fittings for use in the chemical industry in the beginning of his career. Then the company moved into machining plastics for the oil and gas industry. Harvey was great at his job, teaching and showing his children what hard work can do for a person.

Harvey was a “Jack of all trades” but a master machinist and a master at gardening. He could “jerry rig” anything to repair it including a 30 year old microwave.

In 1969 he and his wife purchased over 4 acres of land in Alvin and had a beautiful home built to raise their family of three children. He enjoyed having and tending to a large vegetable and flower garden. Harvey had the greenest green thumb a person could have. His family life changed in 1970 becoming a single parent and raising two children. Harvey worked hard to provide for Debra Sue and Arnold by working long hours and 6 days a week. He enjoyed going to dance halls like Eddie’s Ballroom and Mickey Gilleys to dance and a great dancer he was of the jitter bug, polka and the two-step. On one of his nights out at Gilleys, he met Lynn (Nell) Hudson and her friend Brenda. Brenda told Nell if that man comes to ask you to dance, you better dance with him because he is a great dancer. Well Harvey did just that; the two fell in love and joined their two families by getting married on June 3, 1977. They became members of Heights Baptist Church as well as life members of the American Hemerocallis Society. They maintained a National Display Daylily Garden until 2008. Their daylily gardens were so beautiful that they were included in the publishing of the book “Texas Public Gardens” copyright 2008. Buses would come from all over to view the beautiful daylily gardens that Harvey and Nell shared their love for. He loved being outside in the garden hoeing to keep those pesky weeds from popping up around the daylilies that he was called the “hoe man” amongst their AH Society friends. Harveys’ love for growing daylilies and creating designs become his most loved hobby so much that he won a National Award for a design he created. During his time in the AH Society he became an exhibition and garden judge until his health declined.

Harvey was a quiet man who loved God, his family and work.

Harvey Adolf Shimek was preceded in death by his parents, Fredrich Shimek and Frances Kobza Shimek; brothers Otto & wife Rosalee, Ewald, Benjamin, Melvin & wife Rosemary,  Felix & wife Patsy; sisters Evelyn & husband Laddie Konvicka, Gladys Hoelscher, sister-n-laws Charlene Shimek, Sue Shimek; daughters Robbie Petty, Monique Hodgson; grandsons Jonathan Petty, Dillon Hermis, and several nieces and nephew’s.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Lynn (Nell) Hudson Shimek; daughter Debra Sue & husband Joe Hermis, Jr.; sons Arnold Lee & wife Pamela, Earl Kirkland III & wife Nikki; brothers Werner, Marvin & wife Jean; sisters Valerine & husband Alton Christ, Georgia & husband John Klesel; brothers-in-law Leo Hoelscher, Eddie & wife Christy Ratliff and numerous nieces and nephew’s. Grandchildren Tabitha S. Hermis, Colby J. Hermis, Patrick A. Shimek, Cody M. Shimek, Kayte L. Shimek, John G. Hodgson, Jr., Erica L. Bird. 

Great grandchildren Davin, Jordan, Nora, Vincent, Wren, Emelia, Ava, Brooklyn. 

Family and friends are invited to the visitation with family on Tuesday October 28, 2025 from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Jeter Memorial Funeral Home, 311 N. Friendswood Drive, Friendswood, Texas. The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 10:00 AM at Heights Baptist Church, 1591 County Road 144, Alvin, Texas with Dr. Lee Peoples officiating. Interment will follow at South Park Cemetery, 1310 N. Main Street, Pearland, Texas.