Shane Cullen Kernen

The Life of Shane Kernen.
aka: Shaner, Sugar Shane, Foy, Paint, Shane the Crane, Joe Gear, Coach
Shane Cullen Kernen was born on April 17, 1981, in Portland, Oregon to Debbie and Kevin Kernen. He grew up in Vancouver with his older brother, Travis, and graduated from Battle Ground High School, where he was a star athlete in football and basketball. He went on to play basketball at Central Washington University and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Criminology. He met the love of his life, Aimee Oswald, in 2004 and they married in September 2005. With his new bride they established a life together in Cheney, Washington, and settled into family life with the birth of their first son, Blake in 2008. They enjoyed the Cheney lifestyle and made many friends while Aimee pursued her career as a nurse and Shane worked at Avista. In 2010 they welcomed their second son; Logan and their family unit was complete.
Shane and Aimee became an integral part of the Cheney community and developed a strong affinity for Eastern Washington Football, enjoying many activities which became annual traditions. When Shane's parents retired from careers in education in 2018, they moved to Cheney to be closer to Shane and his family. Shane loved having his parents near and they quickly became an almost daily part of the family activities, even having the boys attend "school" with them during the covid shutdown. Shane was always happy to have time with his family and loved watching his boys grow up into the amazing young men they are today.
His passion for hunting grew in the bountiful lands of Eastern Washington and beyond and he took hunting trips to Montana, Oregon, and Colorado. He was a true outdoorsman and loved being one with nature. Another passion of his was watching his boys become tremendous athletes. When Blake took up golf, a sport that Shane had never quite mastered, he loved watching him dive headfirst into the game. Shane helped both of his sons learn the value of hard work and practice – qualities that he modeled, encouraged, and respected. As his boys continued their athletic endeavors, Shane became enthralled watching Blake and Logan enjoy the competition and success. Few things in life made him smile more than watching his boys compete and become better and better. His love of sports and hunting formed many lifelong friendships from his teammates at BGHS to his basketball team at CWU, Shane was more than a teammate to all of them, he was a true friend. He also excelled in coaching young athletes where he ran a tight ship, but balanced it with a delicate, soft style. His players left his team better athletes and better people.
Shane was without a doubt, a man of family first. He took so much pride in preparing for family gatherings, whether it was our annual trips to Guemes Island, which he began prepping for weeks in advance - making our favorite dishes like Cioppino, crab cakes, and crab louis with his brother or our family Christmas gatherings in snowy Leavenworth Washington, or a weekend getaway or tailgate - Shane always brought way too much food. A fabulous self-taught cook, influenced greatly by his mom and dad, Shane worked on his special recipes until he had them nailed down and he often had friends and family requesting his signature dishes. His selflessness in his ability to make sure everyone was happy and having a good time was unparalleled. This is exemplified by his skills in the kitchen. Shane was a connoisseur of good food. Whether it was dining at his favorite pizza place or cooking a gourmet meal for his friends and family brought him so much joy. He, like his brother, spent many hours in high school and college watching Food Network and learning the skills to create amazing meals for all those he loved. Giving was truly in his nature and he would smoke racks of ribs for a work party or an Eagles tailgate, he always had more than enough to feed the whole team, and he was always down to eat some delicious food. He was at his happiest when he was surrounded by friends and family enjoying his incredible meals.
Beyond his love of family, Shane took that same love to his circle of friends. Everyone who ever met Shane saw what a shining, giving, soul he was. He had a gift for quickly forming a strong connection with everyone he met. He gained another brother with his marriage in Aimee's brother Drew. Shane and Drew became instant family and had so many years of friendship and love. They connected on so many shared loves and Shane took so much pride in being an amazing uncle to Drew's children.
His love for his extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins was a true part of his being. He held his entire family tree in a very special place in his heart. Shane left a lasting impression on so many people in all chapters of his life. His infectious laugh was so memorable, and he wasn't afraid to let it loose at a moment's notice. Family, friends, and food were at the center of his world, and he went above and beyond in all three areas. There are those people in the world who bring a special light to this life and Shane was the true definition of a special light. His light will shine eternally through his boys and all those who knew him. He left us too soon on March 11th, but his kindness, enthusiasm and enormous heart will continue to live on in all who knew him. He is survived by his wife Aimee, his 2 sons Blake and Logan, his parents Kevin and Debbie, and his brother Travis, his wife Emily and their two children Harper and Bode.
The Kernen Family College Fund has been established at the Cheney Federal Credit Union, 520 First St. Cheney, WA. 99004. Donations can either be brought in or mailed.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, March 16, at 11:00 am at Cheney Funeral Chapel. A reception will follow.