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December 23, 2010
John P. Shannon passed away peacefully in his home in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., on December 23, 2010, after complications from a fall, surrounded by his loving family.
He was born May 20, 1922, and grew up in Wilkes-Barre. He was the oldest of five children of Marie (Toole) and John Peter Shannon, who was the supervising principal of schools in Georgetown.
He was a devoted and loving big brother to siblings, Mary, Joseph, Eleanor (Lynn), Leo, and his cousin, John Coyle, throughout their lives. John was active in school sports and set the township record for making 48 out of 50 free throws in 1937. He was both a lifeguard and camp counselor at Georgetown Settlement Camp during his high school summers and a golf caddy at Pocono Manor which began lifelong, love/hate relationship with the sport.
John attended Bucknell University where he earned a degree in accounting and finance and played basketball.
He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in December of 1942 and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. He served in the South Pacific including Saipan, Tinian, and Japan, predominantly with the 2nd Marine Division.
He returned home to support his family but stayed actively involved with the USMC through the reserve, training new enlistees until he retired at the rank of colonel. His time in the Corps was a defining defining experience in his life end was a source of great pride. He embodied the Marine Corps motto, Semper Fi (“Always Faithful”) and cherished his lifelong Marine friendships.
Once home, John was hired as a traveling auditor by Best Foods in New York. It was during an audit job in San Francisco, Calif., that John met the love of his life, Marty Jean Bucknell, of San Mateo, Calif. While captivated by all her charm, John liked to kid that it was her last name that of his alma mater’s, that closed the deal. They married in 1949 and raised five children, Patrick (deceased), Thomas, Jean (David Bedford), Anne (Brian Sholes) and Robert (Christy).
John left Best Foods and took a managerial job with Borden Co. in San Francisco. He moved his family to Palo Alto, Calif., in 1952, residing there until 1972. The family’s Palo Alto years provided a lifetime full of memories shared with many cousins, aunts and uncles including camping trips to the local redwoods, weekend Giants games at Candlestick Park, and family vacations in Tahoe.
In 1972, he accepted a position with Knudsen Dairy in Los Angeles and realized his dream of living on the Pacific Coast when they bought their home in Rancho Palos Verdes. Their home would serve as a welcoming gathering spot for family and friends for 38 wonderful years.
He spent his retirement years playing golf, traveling and improving his mind! Golf outings and yachting trips to Tinsley Island with Marine friends and traveling to Alaska with Marty were annual highlights. His three grandchildren, Caitlin, Miles and Natalie, were the joys of his life, and he was passionate about staying involved in their lives.
He was a constant source of encouragement and loved to leave them singing phone messages and buy them ice cream at every opportunity. He lived his life with integrity and will be remembered as a loving and compassionate man whose humor lifted the spirits of all he encountered.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society or the American Cancer Society.