David Stephen Shymko.Courtesy of family
David Stephen Shymko: Father. Partner. Adventurer. Legend. Born Nov. 25, 1946, in Oliver, B.C.; died March 19, 2025, in Vancouver, with the help of MAID due to advanced pancreatic cancer; aged 78.
If you ever spent time with David, you’d know he was a good listener, it was a skill that served him well throughout his life. When he spoke, he considered his words carefully, often after organizing his thoughts by sketching them out on paper with his favourite mechanical pencil.
David was a voracious reader of the financial section, the murder-mystery section, the science section and surprising to some, the humour section. He counted Mark Twain as his favourite author. On evenings and weekends, it was not unusual to find David reclined in a chair, a book splayed open across his chest as he checked for holes in his eyelids.
Raised in Lake Windermere near the Columbia River headwaters of British Columbia, David developed an early appreciation for study, hard work and the rugged beauty of the mountains. After high school, he briefly took up his father’s trade of carpentry. Ultimately, David sought bigger opportunities and moved east to Calgary to study engineering and geophysics, which led to a brief stint in the oil patch. It is in Calgary that he met Faith Bergman through mutual friends and in 1970, the two wed and spent holidays exploring exotic foreign lands.
In 1971, the couple moved to Vancouver to allow David to complete his MBA at the University of British Columbia. Here, he developed a lifelong fascination with the emerging occupation of financial planning. And by 1972, David along with Doug Macdonald and other partners had established Macdonald, Shymko & Company. Over 52 years, David advised clients with his extensive understanding of tax codes and multigenerational succession planning. He was a key figure in building the financial planning community. You could tell David was proud of his professional achievements because instead of bragging, it fuelled his drive.
Outside of work David invested heavily in his family. Starting with Scott, followed by Todd and then Brett, David spent countless hours shepherding and supporting his boys in a host of practices, lessons and extracurricular activities. He was a stern father and at times insufferable because once he had made up his mind, he’d stick to it. But David had a soft side, too. When happy, he’d sing the chorus of Git Along Little Dogies or share a pun of his own creation to elicit a laugh. On family movie nights, he would get the fireplace going and make popcorn. On long weekends, he would opt for a camping trip or scrambling up a mountain. David was at his most relaxed on Saturday afternoons, treating himself to a can of Kokanee only after house chores had been squared away.
David and Faith divorced in 1993, and with his second life partner, Sharon Lowe, David saw new interests develop.
David Shymko with Sharon Lowe at Stonehenge, England.Courtesy of family
Curling became a favourite pastime and passion. It also marked a renewed push to travel abroad and the pair extensively explored Africa, Europe, Asia and South America. The two also enjoyed hosting or visiting their extended family. David especially relished time spent with his only grandson, Ethan, with whom he shared his love of economics and mineral collecting.
Over his lifetime, David formed many close friendships though few after high school ever got away with calling him “Dave.” There was little he wouldn’t do or adventures he wouldn’t sign on for with his friends. All he sought in return was good company and animated, intellect-challenging conversation. That, and perhaps a gin and tonic or nip of scotch.
David’s accomplishments came with a heavy price and in later years his health suffered, much to the dismay of his loved ones. It was his steadfast belief that he could overcome any diagnosis, and he managed to survive many near misses. However, as he neared completing rehab for a lower leg amputation, David received a diagnosis of aggressive pancreatic cancer. He fought on as long as he could and died peacefully surrounded by his family in Vancouver.
David was a person of high personal and professional integrity and is dearly missed for his genuine concern for those in his close orbit.
Scott Shymko is David Shymko’s son.
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