HOUSTON, Texas — Scott Daniel Shumate,
48, of Houston, Texas, left this earth on January 25, 2020. He was born July 28, 1971, in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to Dan and Linda Shumate. Scott graduated from Cabot High School in 1989 and went on to receive his degree in Finance and Marketing at the University of Arkansas in 1993; he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
After college, Scott went to work for Alltel Corporation, but the mountains were calling him to Estes Park, Colorado. Because of his love for nature, he developed a zeal for the outdoors. From climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to floating down the Amazon River, Scott found peace and solitude in God’s artistic landscape.
It was in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where Scott fell in love with the Ozark Mountains, rock climbing, and working with children. Little would he know that these passions would ultimately culminate into a career that would greatly impact hundreds of teenagers and adults.
From a young age, Scott had the uncanny ability to encourage and to motivate the people around him. He was a Giver – of his time, of his talents, and of his love. Scott was a deep thinker, a reader, and loved quiet time alone to meditate and to journal.
He had many outdoor interests: surfing, snowboarding, water skiing, kayaking, mountain climbing, running marathons, mountain biking, fishing, and playing tennis.
His love for nature merged with an opportunity in helping others. Scott moved to Houston and became the director of the wilderness program — working with teens and families in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction through Cornerstone Recovery. In 2017 Scott created his
own company, ALP, the Adventure Learning Program, where physical and adventure-based activities were used in motivating and encouraging teenagers to push themselves both physically and mentally.
Scott understood God’s purpose for his life, and that was to love and to serve. He invested in people, valued relationships, and held on to the belief that everyone had the propensity to persevere and to overcome.
Scott was a smiler, an encourager, and a doer — he was humble. As his last act of unselfish love, Scott donated his organs.
May his passion for people become contagious in your own life, may you give selflessly and embrace others with sincerity and compassion. May we dedicate our lives in treating people with kindness, being unpretentious, and believing that every soul is worth saving. Volunteer to worthy causes, pause daily and reach out to those who are hurting or in need. Scott, in his short life, climbed his mountain with intensity and passion — now go climb yours!
A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb 1, 2020, at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Cabot, Arkansas. Visitation is at 10 a.m.
Survivors include the love of his life, his wife, Viridiana Shumate, of Houston, Texas, and their furbabies, Pickle and Sophie; parents, Dan and Linda Shumate of Cabot, Arkansas; brother, Stuart Shumate of Cabot; brother, Spencer Shumate of Denver; nephew, Dylan Shumate of Cabot; father and mother-in-law, Aristeo and Iliana Velez of Tepic, Mexico; sisters-inlaw, Yahaira Fierros of Los Angelas and Viviana Fierros of Tepic, Mexico; and brother-in-law, Raul (Brittany) Navarro of Colorado Springs. Scott was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Dan and Sadie Shumate; his maternal grandmother, Louise Russell Taylor and his niece, Sydney Shumate.
The family suggests donations in memory of Scott Shumate to Open Arms Shelter, P.O. Box 161, Lonoke, Ark. 72086 or by calling 501-676-6166.