Steven M Goralski
(December 30, 1965 – September 10, 2011)
Steve was born on December 30, 1965 in Mattoon, IL, the youngest child of Albert E. Goralski and LaVergne (Vera) Goralski. Following Albert’s death in February 1966, in August 1968 LaVergne married Richard Simmering of Shelbyville, who became Steve’s lifelong dad.
Steve was a graduate of Shelbyville High School in the Class of 1984, and of University of Illinois-Springfield with a Bachelor of Sciences degree (Minor in Management Information Systems) in 1994. Steve was the manager for Central Illinois Public Transit in Shelby and Moultrie Counties. He was a member of Shelby Christian Church, Shelbyville Lions Club, Rotary Club of Shelbyville and a former member of the Shelbyville Dive Team.
Steve married Marti Wade of Shelbyville on August 19, 1995, and with her joyfully welcomed daughter Sadie in December 1997 and son Jake in October 2001. Active in sports during his own Shelbyville school years, Steve took tremendous pleasure and pride in being a volunteer coach of Sadie’s and Jake’s local Little League softball and baseball and Youth League basketball teams, fine-tuning Jake’s winning designs in Cub Scout Pinewood Derbies and Raingutter Regattas, commiserating annually with fellow Cubs fans, and yelling himself hoarse watching Fighting Illini and Chicago Bears games in his orange-and-blue “Man Room”. Steve aimed to be the last person out of Forest Park Pool at the closing whistle of each summer and to increase the size of his home’s outdoor Christmas light display each winter. Lucky in love, fortunate in friends, Steve had everything but length of years.
Surviving are his wife, Marti, and children, Sadie and Jake, of Shelbyville; his mother, LaVergne Simmering of Shelbyville; brother, Alan Goralski of Shelbyville; sisters, Karen Block of Joliet, IL and Laurie Goralski of Louisville, KY; stepbrothers, John Simmering of Norman, OK, James (Mike) Simmering of Troy, IL, Bill Simmering of Urbana, IL, Steve Simmering of Opheim, IL and Bob Simmering of Guam.
He was preceded in death by his two fathers, Albert Goralski and Richard Simmering; infant elder brother, Kenneth Goralski; and stepsister, Susan (Simmering) Kersey of Mattoon.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 14, 2011 in Howe and Yockey Funeral Home, Shelbyville with Rev. Mark Sanders officiating. Visitation from 3:00-8:00 p.m. Tuesday. Burial will be in Glenwood Cemetery, Shelbyville.
Memorials may be made to the Shelbyville Athletic Boosters Foundation, PO Box 161, Shelbyville, IL 62565. Lasting tributes to Steve are encouraged through your ongoing support of community youth sports, schools, and civic organizations, whose success relies on individuals’ dedication of time and positive energy. Life Is Fun – Get Out and Play.
Send condolences at www.howeandyockey.com