Shawn Lee Lane

1969 - 2025

Shawn Lee Lane passed away on April 4, 2025, in Mountain Home, Arkansas, at the age of 55.

Shawn was born on May 25, 1969, in Yellville, Arkansas, the son of Charlie and Madelyn Carlton. He married Tonya Blair on December 4, 1993, in Yellville, Arkansas.

Shawn spent most of his life growing up and living in Yellville, except for a couple of years when he lived in Alaska with his family. Shawn was a 1987 graduate of Yellville-Summit Schools. After high school, Mr. Lane worked part-time as a DJ and for the United Parcel Service while attending North Arkansas Community College in Harrison, Arkansas. In 1991, he began working part time for Mr. Calvin Czeschin, the president of Yelcot Telephone Company. Soon after, he became a full-time employee, moving up the ranks from Outside Plant Installer to his current position as Vice President of Operations.

Mr. Lane was also a fixture in Marion County community protection, serving as a patrolman for the City of Yellville, an investigator for the Marion County Sheriff's Office and holding the rank of Captain in the Yellville Volunteer Fire Department for over 17 years. He also served an extended term as Marion County Deputy Coroner.

As a leader in the local community, Mr. Lane was sworn in as Yellville mayor in January 2007 and has proudly served the City for over 18 years. He obtained a Delta Regional Authority grant through the Arkansas Economic Development Commission to create the rail spur for the industrial park. He also moved the train station from Summit to the original park in Yellville and renovated the building and caboose into the current Heritage Society. Mr. Lane was instrumental in improvements to the City Park, adding a walking trail with lights, several upgrades to the ball fields and adding the splash pad and pickleball courts. He also created an endowment to fund future improvements for the City Park.

Shawn worked on the cleanup, restoration and expansion of the Layton Cemetery. He later worked with a donor to establish an endowment for the cemetery through the Twin Lakes Community Foundation. A fully funded fireman's pension, permanent funding for the Yellville Volunteer Fire Department, renovation of City Hall and new sidewalks on the square are just a few other projects accomplished under his leadership.

As mayor, Mr. Lane served on the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, most recently serving as Vice Chair. Mr. Lane was also appointed to the Arkansas State Aid Street Committee in 2017 and was currently serving his second four-year term.

Mr. Lane also served on the Advisory Board for the Yellville First Service Bank, the Board of Directors for the Twin Lakes Community Foundation and the Marion County Healthcare Association, serving as president in 2014. He could be found cooking hamburgers at Panther football games on Friday nights for over 15 years. He was a longtime member of the Yellville Chamber of Commerce and was awarded the Citizen of the Year award in 2008 and 2013.

Shawn leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and cherished memories. Shawn found joy in the simple pleasures of life, from camping trips at the White Buffalo to family vacations at the beach. He treasured sunny lake days spent on the boat, fishing with those closest to him and always had a Coca-Cola in hand.

Shawn was an avid fan of Razorback sports, eagerly attending games with his wife, family and friends. He loved to host and grill out, bringing people together with his amazing cooking and easygoing hospitality. Shawn was overjoyed to embrace the role of "Papaw," always excited to spend time with his granddaughter. His love extended to his grand dogs, Lincoln and Lennox, as well as his faithful family dog, Cali, who brought him endless comfort. Shawn had a gift for storytelling, captivating everyone with stories that always seemed to bring laughter and warmth.

Shawn Lane's love for his family was immeasurable. He adored his wife with a devotion that was evident in everything he did, always putting her first and cherishing every moment they shared. As a father, Shawn's love for his two daughters, Mckenzi and Ryleigh, knew no bounds. He was their unwavering support, always proud of their accomplishments and their kind hearts. Shawn also embraced his sons-in-law, Rickey and Michael, as his own, treating them with the same love and respect he showed to his daughters. His kind heart, unwavering sense of humor, and passion for family will forever be remembered by all who knew him.

He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Tonya, of the home; daughters McKenzi (Rickey) Jones of Tontitown, Arkansas, and Ryleigh (Michael) Smelcer of Conway, Arkansas; one granddaughter, Sutton Blair Jones, of Tontitown, Arkansas. He is also survived by his grandmother, Jean Ward of Yellville, Arkansas; parents Charlie and Madelyn Carlton of Yellville, Arkansas, and Danny Lane of Springfield, Missouri, and his father and mother-in-law Robert and Judy Blair of Cotter, Arkansas; one brother, Shea (Micki) Lane of Ozark, Missouri; Missouri; two half sisters, Megan (Eric) White of Republic, Missouri, and Danielle (William) Miles of Springfield, Missouri; brother-in-law Bobby (Tammy) Blair; sisters-in-law Shawn (Reed) Tucker of Whiteville, Arkansas, and Dawn (Joseph) Fleming of Nashville, Tennessee; uncles William (Teresa) Wood of Atlanta, Georgia, and Johnny (Freda) Wood of Springfield, Missouri; aunts Anita Paulson of Yellville, Arkansas, and Laveta (Dave) Tablish of Yellville, Arkansas; and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews.

Shawn was preceded in death by his half brother, Justin Lane; great-grandparents Jinks and Lela Wood and D.H. and Jeffie Copeland; grandparents Doyle and Norma Wood, and C.M. and Dorthy Lane and Robert Ward.

Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025, in the gymnasium at Yellville-Summit School Panther Pavilion. Funeral services will be held at noon Saturday April 12, 2025, in the gymnasium at the Yellville-Summit School Panther Pavilion, with burial to follow at Layton Cemetery.

Chad Darnell, Philip Frame, Jay Jones, Shea Lane, Matt Walker, Greg Watkins and Rob Williams will serve as pallbearers. Hunter Duren, Gene Klaasmeyer, Sara Zimmerman, Reece Bailey, Will Schuhknecht, Chad Dewey, Dave King, William Wood and all current and former employees of Yelcot and Mountain View Telephone Companies and the City of Yellville will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Memorials may be made to the Yellville City Park Endowment c/o Twin Lakes Community Foundation, P.O. Box 473, Mountain Home, AR 72654.