Obituary of Anne M. Shannon

Anne McConnell Shannon, 56, of Mendon, NY, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ while surrounded by her family on February 7, 2023, after a 5½ year battle with brain cancer. Faith, family, and friends were the priorities in Anne's life, and she will be fondly remembered for being a faithful servant, a devoted wife, and a loving and caring mother, daughter, sibling and friend. Anne was born on April 1, 1966, in Warren, OH and raised in Sharon, PA. She married Michael Shannon in 1990. Anne and Mike were blessed with two wonderful children, Grace Victoria and John Caleb. Throughout her life, Anne lived in New York City, Ridgefield, CT, Cary, NC and then Mendon, NY, where she and Mike raised their children. Anne was a graduate of Sharon High School and Allegheny College. After college, she worked in advertising for Young & Rubicam in New York City. Realizing her true calling was teaching, Anne earned a Master's Degree in Education from Columbia University and her Education Administration Certification from SUNY Brockport. Anne taught English in the Pawling and Honeoye Falls-Lima school districts for 9 years prior to having children. One of Anne's many accomplishments was going back to school to earn a paralegal degree and then working for a local law firm after her initial cancer diagnosis and resulting surgery and treatment. Anne's effervescent personality would light up a room. She loved to have fun and had a flair for the dramatic. Anne had the gift of hospitality and the ability to connect with people. This resulted in her having many lifelong friends, whom she cherished. Anne served as a camp counselor at the Summer's Best Two Weeks Christian camp in Ligonier, PA. Over the years, she led many Bible studies at her church and in the community, including Community Bible Study fellowship, and initiating a "Sonshine Girls" bible study for young girls in the Honeoye Falls area which she led for years. She served on her church's Hospitality Team and as the northeast region event coordinator with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Anne was always the first to respond to any needs of her family, friends and community, doing so with love, compassion and a servant's heart. She gave freely of her time and will be remembered for joyfully coordinating the Stars & Stripes VeteRun 5K held annually on Veterans Day in Mendon Ponds Park. Anne loved the outdoors, trail running, biking, Nordic skiing, tennis and golf. She competed in many endurance events including triathlons and the Wine Glass Marathon. To say that Anne was competitive is an understatement. Anne especially loved her time spent with family and friends on Kueka Lake and Nantucket Island and her trips to Glacier and Yellowstone National Park. She loved her dogs and enjoyed walking them on the trails in the nature preserve next to her home. Anne is survived by her husband Michael Shannon; daughter Grace Shannon; son John Shannon; parents William and Eugenia McConnell; brothers William (Jennifer) McConnell and John (Shannon) McConnell, all of Hermitage, PA; sister Catherine Mettenburg (Joseph) of Fox Chapel, PA; and nieces and nephews Riley, Murphy, Gigi, Hugh and Mason, all whom she loved dearly. Anne is also survived by her father-in-law Richard Shannon and her beloved sisters and brothers-in law Tim Shannon (Marianne); Molly Auble (Gabriel); Kelly Keen (Michael); and Dan Shannon (Stacy); and nieces and nephews Ryan, Katie, Taylor, Isabelle, George, Jackson, Garrett, Patrick, Caroline, and Victoria. She was predeceased by her mother-in-law, Victoria Shannon and brother-in-law, Patrick Shannon. One of Anne's favorite scripture verses, and one she faithfully lived out, especially during her battle with cancer, was Psalm 115:1 "Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name goes all the glory, because of your unfailing love and faithfulness." And we will also remember a quote she had prominently displayed in her home: "Live a good life. In the end, it's not the years in the life, but the life in the years." --- Abraham Lincoln. A celebration of Anne's life will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2023, beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Crosswinds Wesleyan Church, 3360 Middle Cheshire Road, Canandaigua, NY 14424, with a reception to immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to: Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Northeast Region, https://www.northeastfca.org/, and the International Brain Tumor Alliance https://theibta.org