Joan Sally Shannon

Joan Sally Quinn Shannon crossed over on January 19th, 2025,with loving family around her as she departed. Joan lived a most fulfilling life. She was a daughter to legions of strong post-World War II women, sister to Delores and Dick Quinn two amazing humans, loving wife to “himself” , Thomas Joseph Shannon, a most loving husband, mother to 7 children, aunt to dozens, and a personality to us all.

Joan was born on April 13th, 1935, in Chicago, Il. She was raised by a single mother and a neighborhood of women during a time when life was not easy. She was the perfect balance between two strong willed cultures, Irish and Croatian. Resiliency was in her DNA. She was celebrated in her youth by her family and cousins as the youngest and most spoiled of all!

Following high school, she attended Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, IL, Earning her RN degree . She excelled as a student and truly enjoyed life with her dearest friends’ and roommates Maureen and Jane.
Mom met and married Tom in 1956 and immediately experienced 63 months of pregnancy. She and Tom raised 7 children while working and caring for extended family earning the label of “mother of all mothers”. She was a gifted parent offering the same generosity in love as in discipline and mentoring. Incredibly, she was renowned in her professional life garnering so many friends and colleagues as well as in the lives of all of her children , their friends , and their families.

She was a devoted Catholic who maintained her connectivity to the Church regardless of her conditions in life. One of mom’s favorite passages was “I am the light of the world. He who follows me does not walk in the darkness but will have the light of life: (John 8:12). It represents the certainty with which she knew her destiny was to join the departed. Despite experiencing adversities, she maintained a grit and persistence in living each moment and being there for family, friends, her children, and their children.

She leaves 6 children Quin Shannon, Marie Peck, Catherine Rojas, Tom Shannon, David Shannon, and Joseph Shannon. In addition ,scores of nieces and nephews ,dozens of grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She was preceded in death expectedly by her parents, aunts, uncles, and elders , yet her greatest sorrows came in the losses of her daughter Tess, her nephew Tim, husband Tom, her granddaughter Chloe, grandson Austin and her son in law (son, really) Mark.

She has been reunited with them finally and awaits us all.

Moliere said, “Birth is nothing without virtue, and we have no claim to share in the glory of our ancestors unless we strive to resemble them”.
Let us all resemble Joan Sally Shannon and those before her as the best way to honor them.

There will be a celebratory mass at St Clare of Assisi Catholic Parish (17111 W Bell Rd, Surprise, AZ 85374) on February 24th, 2025, at 10:30am. In lieu of flowers the family suggests offerings in her memory as your heart chooses.