Shawn O. Candela

Shawn was one of my best friends from 1994 to the early 2000s. We met at the Decatur Herald & Review and our friendship continued when he went to Springfield and back up again in St. Louis. After I left St. Louis in 2003, friendship via email just wasn't the same. But here's what I want people to know: He was a brilliant page designer and a clever copy editor/headline writer. His front page for when "American Beauty" won best picture, with rose petals drifting down the page, was a thing of...

I met Shawn while working at Papa K's in Wood River. We became good friends almost right away. The night crew would go to Shawn's parents house to play basketball and swim until early morning. He was a great guy. We will all miss his kind and gentle soul.....RIP Shawn.

Shawn I had known you since grade school days. Always so nice and friendly to all. RIP friend and condolences to your family.

I´m sad to hear about Shawn. He was a friend of my brothers. I have very fond memories of Shawn. As the little sister, he was always a nice guy to me. He will be missed. He

Although I worked at the Post-Dispatch, I became friends with Shawn through volleyball. He was a great player. Also a great person and a kind soul. He had a huge heart and love of animals and we would see him all the time in our neighborhood, sitting on his porch reading while cats and occasionally other animals wandered in and out of his house. He will be missed greatly.

I am so sad you are gone but glad we briefly reconnected in 2021 after a long time. You were my closest friend on the copy desk in the '90s. We had a shared love of the movies and always went together when we could. I will always remember you. RIP Shawn

Shawn, you were my first best friend. All te memories of us playing in our back yards, playing kick ball and chasing the over the fence home runs into the vacant lot and coming back loaded with sand burrs. Riding our bikes around the block and up Metzger, walking to Smitty´s to buy candy, and all the adventures that kids could fit into a summer day before the street light came on, getting called inside by our parents and coming inside grass stained and sticky. Bomb pops from the ice cream...

We've been friends for 25 years. He taught me how to drink a gin and tonic and appreciate red wine. Shawn could be such a sweet and generous guy. I can't believe he's gone. I'm going to miss you so much buddy.