Edward "Ed" Shannon

Edward “Ed” Shannon, age 86, passed peacefully on November 21 in Fremont, surrounded by his loving family. Ed was born on February 1, 1932 in Hayward, California. After serving as a radar man on a Navy destroyer in the Korean War, he married his high school sweetheart, Geraldine Louise. Together they had five daughters, Cindy, Kathleen, Kelley, Eileen, and Julie (affectionately referred to as #1, #2, #3, #4 and #5). Family summers were spent camping in the redwoods and clamming at Pismo Beach. An avid fisherman, Ed patiently untangled the fishing lines of his daughters and later, grandchildren near the family cabin in Jamestown. A pillar in the Fremont community, Ed owned Shannon’s Paint with his brother, Bill, was an active member of the St. Joseph’s Men’s Club, and a driver for Meals on Wheels. Ed served one term as President, 44 years of membership, and a record number of 33 new recruits to the Dawn Breakers Lions Club, but missed being a charter member of the Fremont chapter by just one month in 1974 because he was on vacation (probably fishing). The holiday season was made brighter through Ed’s whimsical, animated Christmas decorations, eventually spreading from their first home in Niles, then through the entire court of La Purissima Place, and drawing crowds of joyful neighbors for decades. Ed and Gerry explored the corners of the world, often as US Ambassadors for Friendship Force International (FFI), and shared their home with the world, by hosting FFI Ambassadors from many countries and foreign exchange students from Japan, Australia, Austria, and Spain. Scuba diving well into his 60s and skiing into his 70s, always with a video camera, his encounters with electric rays, sharks, whales and icy slopes are documented for the ages. He had a warm smile and never missed an opportunity to tell a crowd a good story. Everyone who knew Ed can take comfort and inspiration from his wonderful full life of family, adventure, service and laughter. Ed is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Gerry, their daughters and sons-in-law Cindy, Kathleen (Lloyd), Kelley (Dave), Eileen (John), and Julie (Mike), their grandchildren Jeremy, Aaron, Shannon, Allison, Scott, Heather, Kevin, and Joshua, and great-grandchildren Bailey, Logan, Ivy, and Jaxson.The family would like to thank Mary, his always smiling caregiver. A service to celebrate his rich life will be held on Friday, November 30 at 1:00PM at Berge Pappas Smith Chapel of the Angels, 40842 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538. In lieu of flowers, donations in remembrance can be made to the Dawn Breakers Lions Club, Fremont or Parkinson’s Institute, Sunnyvale. We will miss his sparkling eyes but he is in our hearts forever. Thank you for all your love and support, The Shannon Family