Shannon M Milder

Surrounded by the loving presence of her husband, mother and brothers, Shannon Munson Milder, 46, died May 18, 2025.

Shannon will be missed by her husband, Brett Arp, and the Milder family, mother, Phyllis, her brothers Edmund (Juliette), Eugene (Joanna), Robert (Maria); nephews James, Thomas and William; and nieces Maria, Josephine, Shannon, Patricia and Lauren. She was preceded in death by her father, James E. Milder.

Shannon will also be missed by the Arp family; mother, Susan, father, Bennie, brother Ken (Camelia) and nieces Madison and Montana. In addition, by aunts, uncles, and cousins and the many friends she made over the years.

Shannon was always a beautiful, vibrant young girl, the "Princess"among three brothers. At a young age, she enjoyed ballet and tap dancing when her family lived in Doha, Qatar. During this time, she walked the Great Wall of China, dodged monkeys in Kenya, visited the Sistine Chapel, climbed among the ruins in Greece, ascended the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and explored inside the pyramids of Giza. Named after the River Shannon, she leaned backward and kissed the Blarney Stone.

Later she excelled in basketball, playing in elementary and high school and on AAU teams in the summer. Shannon graduated from Bayley-Ellard High School in 1996.

As a freshman at the University of Scranton, Shannon walked onto the Lady Royals basketball team, earning her role as the starting center. Three of the four years she played, the Lady Royals made it to the Final Four. Shannon graduated with a BS in 2000.

She joined the US Navy after graduation, completing Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, FL. Her years of military service, rising to the rank of Lieutenant, brought her great pride and happiness. She served as an Aviation Maintenance Duty Officer and deployed on the Aircraft Carrier USS John C. Stennis. Shannon was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for superior performance of duties, and she represented her branch of service on the All-Navy women's basketball team.

After leaving active duty, Shannon received her MS from Villanova University in 2007. She began working as a civilian for the Navy. Shannon was a Site Manager and Education Facilitator in San Diego, School Liaison Officer, Child and Youth Program Manager, Veteran Transition Special Project Manager, Outreach Coordinator and Chief of Staff for the DoD 2017 Warriors Games, and finally, at the Pentagon, as Congressional Communications Staff Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Shore Readiness Division.

Shannon married Brett Arp, January 4, 2020, at a beautiful wedding ceremony in Washington, DC. They lived in DC, then Richmond, VA, and finally in Knoxville, TN. They enjoyed Nationals baseball, Tennessee basketball and football, Notre Dame football, and, above all, the Kansas City Chiefs. Their dog, Patrick, named after the Chiefs' quarterback, was a great source of joy, always carrying a stick in his mouth on their many neighborhood walks.

Shannon will always be remembered for her constant care and attention to others, her loving spirit, her generous nature, her intelligence, her athleticism, and her strength and grit. She is missed so deeply by all who knew and loved her.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Shannon Milder Endowed Scholarship at the University of Scranton, 800 Linden Street, Scranton, PA, 18510, or online at www.scranton.edu/makeagift, designated for the Shannon Milder scholarship. Arrangements are under the care of the Featheringill Mortuary in San Diego, CA.