John Andrew Shuck

John “Andy” Shuck of Glendive, Montana, passed away at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula, Montana October 21st, 2021 at the age of 60. John was born in Dayton, Ohio August 30, 1961 to parents Gordon Russell Shuck Jr. and Olive May Shuck. After growing up on a farm in Winthrop, WA, the family moved to Montana. As the youngest of three children, John was very active in school, playing the clarinet, baseball, and handball on his father’s self-constructed handball court. He went to chess tournaments with his Butte Tech professor/ father/rancher Dad and spent a lot of time at the Assembly of God church with his mom, Olive. This would form his passion for the Christian Ministry later in life.
After graduating from Butte Central High School in 1980, he attended Montana State University for Chemical Engineering for two years before moving to Billings where he specialized in Broadcast journalism from Yellowstone School of Broadcasting. This would be a life changing move as this is where he met “his lovely”, Beverly O’Connor. John and Beverly married soon after and had two wonderful children, Katy and Zachary. After he and his wife’s stints in radio in Boise and Seattle, he moved the family to Princeton, NJ. where he graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary and became a presbyterian minister for 27 years.
John pastored at the First Presbyterian Church in Lowville, NY, First Presbyterian in Billings, MT, First Presbyterian of Elizabethton, TN and the Southminster Presbyterian Church in Portland, OR. He was a gifted preacher and writer with a truth-seeking mind and a heart for Jesus. He had a conscience that would not allow him to ignore oppression. He spoke his truth to power in the church and through the use of his radio broadcasts to an audience across the globe. He interviewed fascinating people from all walks of life; from authors to imams and rabbis, artists, politicians and preachers/priests. You can find his podcasts in various places and his name on the lips of family, friends and former parishioners. As a minister, he loved to baptize and bless. But most of all, he liked to encourage open minded thinking. One of the last things he said to us was… “Well, you’ve got to think about it sometimes!”
John worked the last year of his life as the librarian at Dawson Community College in Glendive, MT. He enjoyed being close to his brother, Gordon and they spent a lot of time in the last year laughing and being goofballs together. John touched countless lives with his zeal for truth, kid at heart attitude and compassion. John had a special relationship with his only granddaughter, Pippa. John was adored by his entire family as a loyal husband, a fun and doting father, and a caring friend and father figure. He will be missed beyond measure.
John was preceded in death by his son, Zachary Shuck and his parents, Gordon and Olive Shuck. He is survived by his wife “his lovely”, Beverly Shuck, daughters Katy and Amber Shuck, grandchild, Pippa Michelle Shuck, his brother Gordon Shuck and his wife, Vickey and his sister Molly Doersch and her husband Ken. He is survived by his parents’-in-law Elsa Kozcan (Charles) and Patrick O’Connor (Nan). He is survived by his sisters’-in-law and family, Michelle and Tom Hill (Justin and Cooper), Lora and Arthur Scammacca (Anjelica and Gavin). Surviving nieces and nephews and children include MaryAnn and Tige Vester (Olivia and Bret), Janelle and Ken Schafer (Hunter), Julianne and Tommy Werner (Luke and Tayrn), Lisa and Joel Shortlidge (David and Emaline), and Craig and Anne Doersch (Sophia, Olivia, and William).