On Tuesday, March 11th — Steven Dennis Shambeau passed away at the age of 76. Born in 1949 to Dave and Emilene Shambeau of Waupaca, Steve will be deeply missed, and undoubtedly remembered for his involvement in many aspects of the Waupaca community, his sense of humor, and his unwavering devotion to being the best husband, father and friend he could be.
As the youngest of three, Steve and his sister, Susan and brother, Tom all grew up in Waupaca, contributing in their own ways to the family business, Shambeau Furniture. At 14, Steve was tasked with installing drapery at a client's home. Afterward, he looked out the window at the unobstructed views of Round Lake and thought, "God, I love this house."
Fourteen years later, he purchased that slice of heaven for himself.
In the years before settling down on the Chain `0 Lakes, Steve graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1971, became a lifelong Badger fan and proud alum of his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi. He also served as an Army Reserve staff sergeant till 1973.
Law school at Marquette followed, after which Steve passed the bar in 1975 and made his way back to Waupaca to practice law alongside Steve Hansen. The pair ran the business with many law partners over the years and were known for playing a daily cribbage game. After 40+ years of their morning ritual, the tally of wins and losses was pretty much even!
The house on Round Lake not only suited the lifestyle Steve loved — boating on the Chain `0 Lakes and soaking up the serenity of life on the water — but it played matchmaker in more ways than one. Steve's neighbors on Browne Lane became his lifelong best friends.
But perhaps the greatest match made on Round Lake was Christmas morning, 1984. Steve was hosting the annual "Green Drink" party, a Shambeau family tradition serving the signature Crème d'Menthe-based cocktail to spread holiday cheer and a memorable buzz! As he stood at the kitchen window, Steve watched Joe Hanegraaf open the back passenger door of his car so his daughter, Mary Jo, could step out. Steve could only describe that moment as love at first sight. A week later, he asked Mary Jo to marry him... she said yes!
In 1986, Steve and Mary Jo welcomed their firstborn, Mollie into the world. Three years later, Matthew completed their family of four. Their childhood was filled with family trips to Florida, Hanegraaf family trips to Colorado, and plenty of time tubing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, and making excuses to stop at Scoopers or the Harbor Bar.
When Mollie started high school in 2000, Steve joined the school board, and served long after his kids graduated, through 2018 — including president from 2008 to 2016. Steve was known for being a great listener who considered all sides of a situation before making decisions. This diligence and fairness extended to all he did — from the Riverside Hospital board, the Waupaca Country Club board, and the Village Inn "Board," which admittedly was just an excuse to get together, laugh and share an ice-cold Coors Light (or two!) with close friends every year.
No matter how many commitments he stacked on his plate to help better his community, Steve never wavered from his commitment to his family. He wrote daily letters to Mollie during her summers at camp, cheered (at times embarrassingly so!) for Matt at soccer games, and carved out vacation time for memorable world traveling with Mary Jo. He leaves behind a lasting legacy, plenty of goodwill, and a few good sermons from his days as the "stand-in" pastor at the Methodist Church and Camp Cleghorn. He ended a particularly passionate sermon with a quote on unity worth sharing today:
"All our little destinations in life that seem so important, when they happen, simply become a part of the journey our souls are on... A part of the master plan that God has for us. No matter what religion, what race, what gender, remember your journey is not a `better' way, rather simply another way."
Steve is survived by his wife, Mary Jo Shambeau, their two children — Mollie Busby (Sean) and Matthew Shambeau.
The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, May 7th, 2025 at 11 AM at the Holly Funeral Home in Waupaca. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 6th from 4 until 6pm at the funeral home, and on Wednesday, one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, donations will be supporting scholarships for The Waupaca High School Scholarship Foundation in memory of Steve Shambeau.
