Sally Stevens Shipman

 

SALLY STEVENS SHIPMAN died on Monday, May 28 in Houston, Texas.  Leukemia took her life but not her indomitable spirit and her ability to inspire others.  Born in Beaumont in 1938 to F. Kenneth Stevens (deceased) and Dorothy Bodin Stevens,

Sally was a member of the 1956 Beaumont High School graduating class. She completed her education at the University of Texas where she received a Master's Degree in Community and Regional Planning and was a member of Chi Omega Fraternity. A long time Austin and Houston resident, Sally began her community and political life as a neighborhood organizer. She served in Austin city government for 12 years, first on the Planning Commission, followed by 3 terms as elected At-Large Austin City Council Member/Mayor Pro-Tem. Sally was always taking on new challenges. At 65 she ran her first of many marathons in San Francisco, placing first in her age group. She was an active member of Rotary Club of Houston, River Oaks Business Women's Exchange Club and Leadership Texas.

At the time of her death, Sally served as Regional Director of United States Inter-Agency Council for Homelessness and for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Previously she served 8 years as the Executive Director of Houston's Coalition for the Homeless. Throughout her professional career she taught government courses for Austin Community College, St. Edwards University, and Houston Community College as well as authoring numerous publications on democracy, government, and city planning.

Sally is survived by Bob W. Shipman, her beloved husband of forty-seven years, her three children, Susan Shipman, Houston, Mark Shipman, Ft. Worth, Sarah and husband Sergio Garcia, Austin, precious grandson, Jack Garcia, mother Dorothy Bodin Stevens, Beaumont, sister Carol Keller and her husband Ken, Austin, and brother Ken Stevens and his wife Jane, Buffalo, Nephews Drew Keller, Austin, and Derek Keller, Boston, Niece Ashley Stevens, Panama, and Grand-Nieces Emma and Ellie Keller, Pflugerville.

A memorial service of Sally's life will be held on Thursday, May 31st, 2 PM at Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Avenue, Houston. The funeral service will be held at 2 pm Friday, June 1st, University Presbyterian Church, 2203 San Antonio St., Austin followed by private interment at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery.

Memorials in Sally's name, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 5005 Mitchelldale, Houston, TX 77092 / www.leukemia-lymphoma or University Presbyterian Church, Austin, Christian Education Ministry.

Memorial Funeral Home Buffalo, Texas (903) 322-4632

Published in the Houston Chronicle on 5/30/2007.

 
 

May 31, 2007, 9:03PM
Sally Shipman spent years aiding the homeless
She led coalition that helped bring millions of dollars to local agencies

By MIKE SNYDER
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Sally Shipman, whose work with local and federal agencies helped to improve the lives of thousands of homeless people in Houston and elsewhere, died Monday of leukemia. She was 69.

Shipman, a former Austin City Council member, was the executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County from 1990 to 1998. Since 1998 she had been the regional director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

At the Houston coalition, colleagues said, her political and administrative skills helped to bring millions of federal dollars to local agencies to help the homeless. At the Interagency Council, she helped 47 local governments develop 10-year plans to end chronic homelessness.

About 200 people attended a memorial service for Shipman on Thursday at Christ Church Cathedral downtown. Friends, family and colleagues remembered her as a diminutive woman who embraced her work with energy and passion and whose joy in everyday life was infectious.

Her daughter, Susan Shipman of Houston, recalled persuading her mother to run the San Francisco Marathon with her four years ago.

"When it was over, she announced, 'Never again,' " Shipman said.

But when she informed her mother a few days later that she had placed first in her age group, "she let out a shout of joy and immediately asked when we were running the next one," Susan Shipman said.

Carolyn Watson, who worked for Shipman at the homeless coalition, said Shipman was a trusted mentor who instilled in her staff the same optimism and enthusiasm that she brought to her own work.

"She attacked homelessness with such gusto and passion that she could not help but inspire others," Watson said.

Sally Stevens Shipman was born in Beaumont in 1938 and graduated from Beaumont High School in 1956. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.

Shipman's political life began in Austin when she appealed to city leaders to build sidewalks so her children could walk safely to school. She worked as a community organizer and served on the Austin Planning Commission before being elected to the City Council in 1983.

Shipman was re-elected in 1985 and 1987. Her work on the council was credited with energizing Austin's environmental movement.

At the homeless coalition in Houston, Shipman worked with dozens of local agencies to improve services to homeless people and sought to understand and change the conditions that led them to become homeless.

In her work with the homeless task force, which coordinates the efforts of 10 federal agencies that deal with homeless issues, Shipman helped develop plans that will benefit thousands of homeless families and individuals, said A. Cynthia Leon, the regional director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In addition to her daughter Susan, survivors include Sally Shipman's husband of 47 years, Bob W. Shipman, of Houston; another daughter, Sarah Garcia of Austin; a son, Mark Shipman of Fort Worth; her mother, Dorothy Bodin Stevens of Beaumont; a sister, Carol Keller of Austin, and a brother, Ken Stevens of Buffalo.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. today at University Presbyterian Church in Austin.

mike.snyder@chron.com

 
 

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