Tributes

Edwin Lee Shook, age 94, went home to be with the Lord Jesus on November 19, 2025. He was born on June 8, 1931, to Clifford and Lillie Shook in Lincoln, Nebraska. From a young age, he had a natural curiosity for how things worked. Radios, model airplanes, engines, and anything mechanical captured his attention. In school, he gravitated toward drafting, ROTC, woodworking, and geography, setting the stage for a life rooted in technical skill and curiosity. After graduating from Brackenridge High School, he joined the US Air Force in 1950, where he trained in Radio Electronics and later taught FM transmitters and receivers. During those early years, he married Marilyn Wallace, and together they raised five children: Eddie, Cara, Randy, Rebecca, and Glenn. He was a steady, dependable presence in their lives, showing his love through commitment, responsibility, and providing for his family. After returning to San Antonio from his Air Force service, Ed began a remarkable career in broadcasting and engineering. He first worked at Sound Distributors and then spent ten years as chief engineer at Muzak. His talents later took him to KENS-TV and ultimately Ft. Sam Houston Medical Television Command, where he designed and built the station’s first mobile television production truck—a groundbreaking achievement at the time—setting the standard for future vehicles across many branches of the Department of Defense and establishing Ed as the go-to consultant for such designs. In 1975, at the age of 45, he took a leap of faith and founded Shook Electronics. Together with a remarkable team, he designed and built custom mobile news and production systems that set new standards for on-location broadcasting. His self-taught mastery of electronics, mechanical engineering, and electrical design earned him admiration far beyond Texas, establishing him as an innovator whose work was recognized worldwide. As the company grew, Ron Crockett joined as a partner in 1987, becoming not only a trusted collaborator but one of Ed’s lifelong friends. He married Peggie Rogers on May 18, 1997, and the two built a beautiful life together. Ed was a loving, faithful, devoted husband and God-fearing man, the love of Peggie’s life. Ed and Peggie enjoyed traveling together through Europe, Israel and Italy. Devoted in his love and faith in God, he was an active member of the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church for 69 years at Concordia Lutheran, serving as an elder and on numerous committees, including the call and building committee. In his early years at Concordia on Basse Rd, he also served as the Congregation's President. Ed was serving faithfully on the church counsel until his passing. He will be deeply missed by his loving family, church family, and all who knew him. Ed was preceded in death by his son, Randal Shook, who passed away just two days prior; his parents, Clifford and Lillie Shook; his stepmother, Dorothy Shook; his brother, Clifford Shook; and his sisters-in-law, LaNell and Betty Shook. He is survived by his wife, Peggie; children: Eddie Shook (Sharon), Cara Goldsbury (Robert), Rebecca Shook, and Glenn Shook (Laura); stepchildren: Bryan Rogers (Jennie) and Buffy Guzman (Desi); grandchildren: Rabi, Matthew (Erica), Chris (Kimberly), Joshua and Ethan Shook, Ben and Lauren Savage, Samantha (Gavin) Thompson, Sara Eberle, Tamara Stein (Eric), William Whitehead, Isabella, Zachary, Alexander and Olivia Rogers, Kylie Vasquez (Isaiah), Zane Hale, Desi, Ivan (Elizabeth), and Marco Guzman; great-grandchildren: Merrick, Rosalie, Samantha and Sarah Shook, Graham, Hayes and Ella Aycock, Tessa and Wesley Stein, and Jonah Vasquez; brothers: his twin, Alvin, and Wayne Shook (Patricia); and numerous nieces and nephews. Shook Electronics: Four Decades of Innovation in Mobile TV Production Introduction Founded in 1975 in San Antonio, Texas, by Mr. Edwin L. Shook, Shook Electronics has established itself as a pioneer in mobile TV production, medical training, and mobile high-technology vehicles for more than forty years. Ed Shook began his journey by designing advanced electronic systems during his service in the US Air Force. He applied his expertise as chief engineer at Ft. Sam Houston Medical Television Command, where he contributed to medical training and emergency orthopedic procedures during the Vietnam conflict. The Birth of Mobile Medical TV Recording Ft. Sam Houston, renowned as the leading training center for US Army doctors and field medics, required a large-format mobile TV production vehicle for recording medical procedures. While searching for a contractor to build this vehicle, Ed discovered that no US company could fulfill the unique requirements. Taking initiative, Ed designed his own medical TV recording vehicle and oversaw its construction. This unit set the standard for future vehicles across many branches of the Department of Defense and established Ed as the go-to consultant for such designs. Entrepreneurial Beginnings and Growth Recognizing a market opportunity, Ed founded Shook Electronics to produce specialized mobile electronics vehicles. His self-taught expertise in electronics, mechanical, and electrical designs earned worldwide recognition. He assembled a team of top-tier tradesmen, engineers, and craftsmen, and formally opened his first manufacturing plant in San Antonio in 1977, which operated for 25 years. In 1978, the company began constructing training cube vans for the Army and soon gained prominence by delivering state-of-the-art mobile training and TV production vehicles to major broadcasters such as ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and later CNN in Atlanta, GA. As business expanded, additional staff joined, including Ronald Crockett, who first became a customer and later became a partner in 1987. Vehicle sizes grew, culminating in 53-foot tractor trailers for sports productions. Shook vehicles were utilized in nearly every summer and winter Olympics from the 1980s until 2001, when Mr. Shook sold the company. In its final year under Shook’s ownership, annual sales exceeded $10 million. Innovations and Milestones Shook Electronics revolutionized mobile TV by creating compact, versatile "cube vans," enabling television crews to bring studio-quality production to remote locations. By 1982, the company achieved a major milestone with the world’s first commercial-owned C-Band Satellite uplink trailer, which was transported to Reykjavik, Iceland, aboard a Boeing 747 to transmit the historic summit between President Reagan and Premier Mikhael Gorbachev. In 1985, Shook supported CNN’s network launch with a large-format live news production truck in Washington, DC, ensuring seamless coverage. The company also built several 48-foot live sports trailers for Turner Network Television in Atlanta, GA. Expansion into Space and Military Applications During the late 1980s and through the 1990s, Shook Electronics broadened its expertise, outfitting after-action review trailers for NASA and providing space shuttle tracking and communications during Operation Desert Storm. The company’s reputation for reliability and innovation was solidified in 1989 when it pioneered IP streaming over satellite, an early precursor to modern digital media transmission. Post-9/11 Developments After the events of 9/11, Shook Electronics built and deployed multiple mobile command units across the United States and collaborated with the Joint Electronic Warfare Command in San Antonio to train warfighters in signal tracking and disruption. These mobile units served as command-and-control centers on wheels, equipped with matte black monitors, mini fridges stocked with Red Bulls, and all necessary amenities to support Department of Defense and police agencies during live operations in demanding environments. The company delivered production trucks and communication hubs to 28 countries worldwide. Modern Production and Brand Identity By 2002, the demand for mobile command and control vehicles surged alongside the popularity of mobile studios. Shook’s vehicles became synonymous with premium quality and innovation, encapsulated by the slogan: "Where the Signal Never Sleeps." This phrase reflects the company's unwavering commitment to reliable broadcast solutions, available anytime and anywhere. Visitation will be held on Monday, December 1, 2025 beginning at 10:00am, followed by an 11:00am Funeral Service at Concordia Lutheran Church. Entombment will follow at Mission Burial Park North Mausoleum.

Tributes

Edwin Lee Shook

June 8, 1931 - November 19, 2025