FACES AT THE MOUNT

Wherever he is, life’s an adventure for J.R. Shull

J.R. Shull Age: 52 Occupation: Food Services Family: Mother, Wilma Shull, Hartford; sisters, Gwen Bartimus,Livermore, and Feliecia Litsy, Auburn, Ala. Address: Owensboro Education: Daviess County High School Tenure at the Mount: Two years Best place he’s ever been:Pattaya Beach, Thailand, while in the Navy.

J.R. Shull has a ready-made answer when asked about the evolution of his working career.

“I tell people, ‘I used to fly multimillion-dollar gun ships, and now I cook,’ ” he said.

Like all the employees in the Mount Saint Joseph kitchen, J.R. does a little bit of everything. One week he is head cook, another he’s in charge of salads and desserts, and the third week he’ll be assistant cook and dishwasher. He enjoys the work, but it’s a far cry from his days in the U.S. Navy, the best job he’s had.

“My dad was in the Navy, I was a Navy brat, so we lived all over until he retired in 1965,” J.R. said. His father was from Ohio County, so he settled his family in Owensboro. When J.R. graduated from Daviess County High School in 1974, there was little doubt what his plans were – he enlisted in the Navy.

The timing of his career meant he served in both the Vietnam War and in Desert Storm. He flew F-14 Tomcat fighter jets, and also worked on the F-18 Hornet, making sure the communications equipment worked correctly. He also spent 15 years as a corpsman, the military version of a paramedic.

Flying was just an added bonus to joining the Navy, he said. “I wanted to see the world, have fun,” he said.

His flying days ended after the second crash he was involved in. His first was in 1975, while he was at Alameda (Calif.) Naval Station, when the pilot brought the plane in too fast. All he suffered from that was a sore back. But in 1978, the plane he was in struck the back of the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk on landing. He suffered some flash burns, and said, “It took away my urge to fly.”

He has fond memories of his time in the military, and it was there that Justin Reed Shull became known as “J.R.”

He has two walking sticks, one he cut off a tree in Saigon, another given to him by a Marine buddy. He also sports a jacket from the U.S.S. Saratoga that lists all the squadrons that worked off that ship. He did the stitching on the jacket, which features the nickname his younger shipmates gave him, “Papaw Shull.”

In 1991, J.R. began having trouble with his eyesight. He learned he had a degenerative, incurable illness. He became part of the military’s cutbacks in 1993, short of the 20 years he needed for retirement.

He worked various jobs for a few years until 1996, when he began attending the Florida Community College at Jacksonville, to get a degree in EMT technology and management. He completed an associate’s degree in 1999 and moved back to Owensboro, where he began working for Yellow Ambulance as a paramedic. He did that for six years, until his eyesight got worse and he had to leave.

While at a Veterans Affairs hospital in 2003, he asked a counselor what he was supposed to do if he lost all his vision. The counselor suggested massage therapy. J.R. began attending the Natural Health Institute in Bowling Green every weekend for two years and got his massage certification in 2005.

“I’m pretty good at it,” he said. “All the techniques I learned, I learned blindfolded. I’ll have to do it that way someday.”

He opened his own massage business in Owensboro, but it was difficult getting started. Fortunately, one of his clients was Sister Cheryl Clemens, who mentioned an opening for a nurse assistant at Saint Joseph Villa. J.R. got that job in early 2006, but with his eyesight still restricting his ability, he applied for an opening in the kitchen and began there in April 2006.

“I cooked in the Navy a little bit, that helped me get this job,” he said.

He calls the kitchen work easy because, “I’m not getting shot at, and there’s no chance of a bomb going off.”

Kitchen work may not be as exciting as the military, but J.R. takes his responsibility just as seriously.

“The job doesn’t matter, just do it to the best of your ability,” he said.

He likes being head cook the most, when he’s responsible for the whole meal, and the presentation. “This kitchen is a science lab, and cooking is a science,” he said.

Kathy Hancock, Food Services manager, credits J.R.’s flexibility as a strongpoint.

“He’s willing to try new things,” Kathy said. “That means a lot back here.”

Recently, he shared his “magic brownies” with the kitchen staff. When asked what was “magical” about them, J.R. replied, “They turned out OK.”

J.R. works with mostly women in the kitchen.

 “It doesn’t take long to get (men) integrated to working with a bunch of women,” Kathy said.

J.R. is amazed by his female co-workers communication skills.

“They all start talking at once, but they’re all still listening to each other,” he said. “I can’t do that.”

He enjoys working with the kitchen assistants. “I can usually make them laugh if they’re having a rough day,” he said

Tina Jackson, the team leader on J.R.’s shift, said he’s a lot of fun to have around.

“He does his job and he always has a story to tell,” she said.

J.R. said one of the sisters he routinely jokes with is Sister Jean Madeline Peake.

“He’s very friendly, and it seems that he wants to help everybody that he can,” Sister Jean Madeline said. “I don’t know what we’d do without him.”

J.R. hasn’t given up on his massage skills. Every other Monday, on his day off from the kitchen, J.R. sets up his massage table in Lourdes Hall and works with the sisters who struggle with pain in their necks, hips and shoulders. If all of his time slots are filled, he’ll do massage from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.

In his spare time, he’s moving into a new home along the Ohio River, and he likes to make time to fish. In August, he’s taking his first trip to Tahiti.

Until three years ago, he sang bass in the Gospel quartet Just Forgiven, which produced one C.D. “I sing better with a group,” he said.

J.R. plans to stay at the Mount as long as he’s able.

“If my vision gets any worse, the doctor isn’t sure if he can correct it,” he said. “It’s 20/600 now, 20/800 is as low as it can go.” His vision usually changes every 18 to 24 months. His doctor said he likely won’t be completely blind, but he won’t be able to drive.

Regardless what he does next, J.R. said he has no plans to leave the Owensboro area.

“I’ve been everywhere from Saigon to Saudi Arabia, but home is home.”

- written by Dan Heckel