Obituary

Steelman, Deris, Mrs. (Viola Mary Brink)

Viola Mary (Brink) Steelman, 87, of Plainview, passed away on Sunday, April 2, 2017.
Funeral services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 5, 2017, at the Lemons Memorial Chapel. Interment will be held privately.

The family will receive visitors from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, 2017, at Lemons Funeral Home.

Viola was born on June 19, 1929, in Athens, Texas, to Herbert and Emma (Coker) Brink. On Oct. 3, 1958, she married Deris Steelman. Viola and her best friend, Rosalie McMurtry, followed the "Zane Grey Trail" and traveled from town to town visiting as many of the sites the author had written about in his popular Western Series of books.

While waiting to turn 18, Viola had the chance to work at the hospital. In her own words, "once she got involved with X-ray, she couldn't turn loose of it." She trained in radiologic technology under Dr. J.H. Hanson and received her registry in 1951. Shortly after, she was hired to manage the Radiology Department. It was then that the hospital administrators saw a need for a school to train personnel in X-ray Technology and established an accredited school inside the hospital with Viola serving as program director until the school closed in 1987. She was an active member of American Hospital Radiology Administrators, the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (in which she served as counselor for northwest Texas for several years), the Texas Society of Radiologic Technologists, of which she was a life member and served in various offices and committees. Viola also was a charter member and helped organize two area societies -- the South Plains Society of Radiologic Technologists, in Lubbock, and the Panhandle Society of Radiologic Technologists and Related Sciences, in Amarillo. She also served in various offices and committees on both societies. She served in the medical field for over 56 years until her retirement in 1995.

She was a proud member of Beta Sigma Phi since 1991. She was a life member and progressed through all the degrees conferred by BSP International achieving the Master Degree and served as secretary of Epsilon Master Chapter. Throughout the years, she received many honors including Valentine Queen of the Chapter, Girl of the Year, Laureate of the Year, Order of the Rose, Silver Circle (25 years), Gold Circle (50 years) and served in all offices and on all committees. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church. Her hobbies included camping, photography, reading ? and her cats. Although she and Deris never had children of their own, she always considered the hundreds of students that she taught throughout the years to be hers.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Deris in 2004; two brothers, Herbert E. Brink and Charlie Brink; three sisters, Emma Louise Brink, Jane Brink Hyatt and Nancy Brink Hyatt; brother in law, W.J. Hyatt; one niece and two nephews.

Those left to cherish her memory are 13 nieces and nephews; two sisters-in-law, Gladys Brink and Charlslene Brink; and one brother-in-law, Ray Hyatt.

Online condolences may be made at www.lemonsfunerals.com