Obituary of Patricia Irene Shannon

Patricia Irene Shannon nee Russell, 74, died on December 5, 2020, at her home in Honesdale, PA. After a four-year battle with pancreatic cancer, she died peacefully in her sleep, with her husband of 52 years, Michael Shannon by her side. The eldest of seven children, Ms. Shannon was born in 1946 in Curwensville, PA. She is preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Eleanor Russell, as well as her youngest sister, Cheryl Ann Russell, and her oldest brother, Kenneth Russell. Her other brothers are Donald Stanley Russell of Luthersburg, PA and Richard Aaron Russell of Meadvile, PA. Her other sisters are Charlotte Jean Passmore of Curwensville, PA and Audrey Marie Crawford of Altoona, PA. In 1964, Patty left her hometown to pursue training as a Radiology Technician at a teaching hospital in Rochester, NY. While in Rochester she spied a fetching fellow driving a sparkly new Corvette. She got his attention with a well-timed question about car wax. Their first date was a daring single-engine plane flight with Michael Shannon as pilot and Ms. Patty serving as copilot. Married in 1968 in Patchogue, NY, they have been flying together ever since. They moved multiple times following Michael Shannon’s work for IBM. In every new town Patty found ways to plug in and help others. Patty spent over 45 years in healthcare both in hands-on care and administration. She served her community by helping multiple people navigate the difficult times in life. She met life head-on with laughter and care. She loved to feed the local deer, write letters to children from Santa and memorialize the natural wonders of life through photography. Patty donated numerous photographs of local beauty to Wayne Memorial Hospital. Patty will be greatly missed by her large, extended family. The family would like to thank the Wayne Memorial Hospital Hospice Team. The care and comfort they provided during this extremely difficult time was priceless. The memorial service for family and friends will be delayed due to the pandemic (probably the summer of 2021), but Ms. Shannon will continue to be celebrated by her extended family with laughter, stories and wonderful memories. Her life was so precious to so many. In lieu of flowers or food please consider a donation to the Lustgarten Foundation ( https://lustgarten.org/donate/ ) which focuses on Pancreatic Cancer Research or the Wayne Memorial Hospital Hospice team of Honesdale, PA.