William Edward Shamulka (Bill) ended his 16-year battle with cancer as he peacefully passed in his sleep surrounded by loved ones at the Mercy House on October 20, 2021. He was 89. A prominent Endicott attorney, Bill was also a titan in the NYS Republican party. He served as special counsel to state senate majority leader Warren Anderson for most of the 30 years he spent working behind the scenes in the legislature.
He was a unique blend, being both fiscally conservative and socially liberal. While responsible for developing countless pieces of legislation, one bill he was particularly proud of was the establishment of the public defense system in NYS. He was an ardent believer that politicians should govern in their constituents' best interests instead of their own. He often recounted saving NYC from bankruptcy in the '70s as an example of the upstate GOP forging a difficult compromise for the greater good of the entire state. Among many achievements, he was responsible for organizing President Ronald Reagan's visit to Endicott in 1984.
Bill was a combat veteran who served in the U.S. Army in Korea before finishing his degree at Harpur College. He put himself through college, eventually earning his law degree at Albany Law School by working numerous jobs and with help from the G.I. Bill. He later went on to serve on the board of Binghamton University.
He married the love of his life, Rose (Kulik) Shamulka, in 1959. They were together until she passed 61 years later. He was an active and devout parishioner, first at St. Mary's in Endicott and then at St. Michael's in Binghamton. He provided legal counsel to both churches over the years and led a committee that updated the by-laws of the latter in the '80s. He took to golf later in life and was an ardent Giants and Yankees fan.
Bill was predeceased by his parents, Frank and Helen Shamulka, his brothers, Mike, Frank, George, and John (Jake), and his sisters, Mary Gonos, Helen Hanus, and Anna Koval. He is survived by his son Bruce, his daughter-in-law Lynn, and his beloved grandchildren Nicholas and Anna Rose (Stella).
The family will receive friends at St. Michael's Orthodox Church 292 Clinton St. Binghamton on Wednesday October 27th from 9:30 AM until 10:30 AM. The Devine Liturgy with the Funeral Service will be celebrated at 10:30 AM by the V. Rev. James Dutko. Burial will follow in St. Michael's Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to St. Michael's Church 296 Clinton St. Binghamton, NY 13905.
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