A renaissance woman

Balancing family, career and volunteer service to U.S. Army

Photos by Becky Stinehour
and contributed by Jean Shine

Jean Shine strolled into a conference room at her office of The Shine Team Realtors in Harker Heights.

It’s decorated with her many awards in real estate, and the too-many-to-count medallions bestowed her by the
U.S. Army for her contributions.

Shine exudes a positive energy. She speaks about her family, her business, her work as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Central Texas, and her foundation — Friends of the Central Texas Veterans Cemetery — that ensures no veteran’s grave is left without a wreath during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

A career is born

Shine was a stay-at-home mom raising two children and taking care of the Harker Heights home her husband, Bill, a Vietnam veteran, built. The town wasn’t the bustling city it is today. “When Bill (a Temple native) came home from Vietnam, he chose to come here because of the military support,” she said.

Shine’s entry into real estate was serendipitous. Once she and her family settled into their new home, she encouraged her Army-family friends that they needed to move to the area. They liked the idea but didn’t know where to start. She found homes for her friends near her own. She did such a good job they suggested that she become a Realtor.

She did not plan on a career in real estate. “I just wanted to be a stay-at-home mom,” she said. “I was raised to be a stay-at-home mom.”

Eventually, Shine earned her real estate license and sold her first house. Real estate remained a side venture for Shine, until her children entered college.

“Then I had time. I didn’t have to have meals on the table. My career blossomed after they went off to college,” Shine said.

A cancer diagnosis in the early years of her career did not slow Shine, a five-time cancer survivor. Her business continued to grow in her absence. She credits God, her family and team for keeping the business going and growing.

“They gave me the strength to keep focus, be happy and grateful. I was, and am, so blessed,” she said.

As a Realtor, she said the Killeen area is booming. “People come by choice. The cost of living is reasonable. We have great schools for kids of all levels from special needs to gifted. We have parks, community programs, YMCA, hike and bike trails, and lakes. It’s a good quality of life. It’s wonderful to see how many people choose to make this area their home. The growth is continual.”

Whether someone is looking to buy or sell a home, Shine said a good house that is well maintained and has a good price will sell quickly. “If people price a house right and take care of it, and it’s in good condition to sell, my dedication as a Realtor is to helping that family,” she said.

Shine goes beyond just showing homes. She is a mentor, educator and guide to the community. “We answer their questions and find their dream,” she said. “Part of my job is to educate, see what needs to be done and what doesn’t.”

A military life

Shine’s passion for everything Army began as a child. She was born in Germany where her father was stationed after World War II. German was her first language. When her family was reassigned to France, French became her second language. The language barrier was a challenge when her family returned to the states and settled in Killeen.

Shine attended KISD elementary and middle schools before her family moved to Arkansas when her dad was reassigned to the Red River Army Depot in Texarkana. “We lived in an itty bitty little town south of Hot Springs,” she recalled. “That’s where I finished high school.”

No matter what town or country she lived in, Shine quickly made friends. “The military teaches you to connect quickly with other people and to support each other,” Shine said. “It is the foundation of my life. Every day we try to be helpful. A smile doesn’t cost anything. You receive more than you give.”

A life of service

Shine’s volunteer service began while her children were in school, offering assistance wherever she could. When her children were grown, she became dedicated to service with the Army and currently serves as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Central Texas.“CASA is such a blessing. Other CASAs don’t have the support I have here. So many people help soldiers and communities,” she said.

As the Central Texas CASA, Shine meets with politicians and other state influencers. She also meets three times a year with other CASAs at different installations around the nation. “It’s a joy helping a soldier’s family,” she said.

“The biggest joys are the little things you can do to open other doors to help people.”

A wreath for every soldier’s grave

When the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery opened in 2006, Wreaths Across America came to Killeen for the opening ceremony. “There were bands, political speakers and six wreaths,” she recalled. But when her eyes scanned the fields, she saw at least 350 graves. At that moment she made it her mission to see that each grave had a wreath during the holiday season.

She located a warehouse in Austin that had the wreaths she needed and ordered 200. It quickly became 400 when she realized how many graves were there. She drove her company’s moving truck to the warehouse where 200 wreaths were waiting for her. But she had to dig into boxes to find the other 200. “They were the perfect size and they had enough,” she said. Then she went to Walmart and bought 400 bows.

Shine returned to Killeen around 10 p.m. and started calling friends, asking them to come to her office the next day to help get the wreaths ready for placement. A large group of volunteers showed up to help fluff the wreaths. Shine paid for the wreaths out of her own pocket. A total of 396 were placed that first year. The next year the count was 900. “I knew I couldn’t afford that,” she said.

She called people to raise money and created a foundation, The Friends of the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery. But she didn’t stop there. At the time, wreaths were only allowed to be placed at Christmas, but Shine was able to get the law changed to the weekend after Thanksgiving. “Now there are 8,000 graves. The purpose has grown. We want to place a wreath on every grave forever,” she said. “There is no end to our vision. We want this to go on for generations.”

Shine has no plans to slow down anytime soon. “I want to continue to give the best service in our area, keep family and customers first, and continue to be involved with the community, on Fort Hood, and as the founder of Friends of the Central Texas Veterans Cemetery,” she said. “We need to be there for the soldiers.”