Shannon Xu

Shannon Xu of Lisle, Illinois, age 18, born August 7, 2005, passed away on January 9, 2024. We are mourning for Shannon - this amazing young woman whose life we wish to celebrate and honor. Shannon is survived by her loving parents, Bo and Ping, and by her older brother Neil. Beloved and cherished daughter, sister, classmate, friend, teammate young Shannon - her bright light extinguished too soon.
Visitation will be Thursday, January 18, 9:00-11:00 AM at the Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill St., Naperville. Funeral Services will follow at 11:00 AM. The service will be live-streamed on this page below. Interment will be at Naperville Cemetery.
Shannon was a gifted student and athlete - her academic and athletic dedication and giftedness was evident throughout high school. At Naperville North High School, Shannon achieved high honors in both athletics and academics, earning a 4.13 GPA while competing in sports and actively volunteering in the community and her church. Shannon graduated in 2023, well-connected and well-respected within the Naperville North community.
She proudly competed as a Huskie at Naperville North after attending Beebe and Steeple Run Elementary Schools and Kennedy Junior High. She was a standout athlete running cross country and track, and playing badminton. She was recognized for her outstanding achievements in each sport repeatedly. Shannon was a 2-year varsity athlete on the NNHS Cross Country team. She won 1st (out of 117) at the Naperville Invitational, 3rd (out of 147) at Naperville Twilight Invitational, and 10th (out of 595) at the First to the Finish Invitational. She was a 2-year participant on the NNHS Track and Winter Running teams.
However, Shannon's athleticism shone brightest on the badminton court. Shannon was a 4-year varsity member of the NNHS Badminton team, as well as a 2-year Captain. She was awarded All-Academic and All-Conference honors in 2021, 2022, and 2023. She took 4th place in singles at the 2022 State Championships and was undefeated in the 2022 regular season. She earned Most Valuable Player in 2021 and 2022 and was showcased three times on NCTV17 for Play of the Week. In 2021, Shannon and the team won the IHSA Badminton State Championship at Eastern Illinois University. In 2022, the Huskies finished third in the state (Shannon placed fourth); and in 2023, the Huskies finished in the top fifteen, with Shannon placing third in singles. This capped a stellar high school badminton career for Shannon and her dedicated teammates.
At the end of her senior year, Shannon was nominated for the prestigious Rob Koranda Scholarship. She was named Naperville North's Female Athlete of the Year and was the recipient of the Michael Gustafson Scholarship. The Michael Gustafson Scholarship is given to an unsung hero, a player that shows up each day with a great attitude and one who lifts others up before themselves. The athletes themselves vote for nominees and Shannon was selected unanimously.
Shannon was motivated to help and inspire others and made it her mission to start the Goodmintons program, which provides a safe, welcoming, and positive environment for young girls who are interested in the sport of badminton. Shannon's impact on her peers, staff, and coaches was insurmountable. She had a heart of gold and will forever be remembered for her acts of selflessness and kindness.
In the fall of 2023, Shannon took her talents to The Ohio State University in Columbus where she was pursuing a degree in Psychology and was on the Dean's List. She was a valued member of the school's highly-competitive Big Ten Rowing Team, which she joined as a recruit. She was also an Orientation Week Leader (OWL) and a peer wellness mentor.
One could hardly imagine what else this young woman could possibly fit into her life. But many may be surprised to know that what defined Shannon was not just her many accomplishments and awards in academics and athletics - it is that she was a child of God - for this is also the story of a sweet teen girl who loved Jesus, volunteering, and mentoring young kids. As much as Shannon loved winning in athletics, she was passionate about running the spiritual race set before her - pursuing growth in her relationship with her Savior Jesus Christ.
She was very involved at her church, Highpoint Church Naperville/Wheaton. She faithfully attended, was a student mentor/leader in youth group, and was a treasured member of other small groups at church. She volunteered to help in children's ministries as well - using her energy, smile, and athleticism to help the kids during SummerFest. Shannon served recently on the church mission's trip to the island of St Vincent as well. She lived life to the full. We will always remember Shannon's sweet spirit, energy, generosity, openness, honesty, and curious attitude. Last year she chose to be baptized to publicly profess her faith in her Savior Jesus Christ as her church family cheered her on. She smiled as if she had won another race or match!
And now, in fact, she has. The Bible assures us that upon death, Shannon, because of her faith in Jesus as her Savior, won her race. She will receive the crown of eternal life with Jesus. Shannon was more beautiful, smart, and fun than she seemed to know or realize. She had a bright future ahead of her and will truly be missed. We will always remember Shannon Xu with love and affection.
A fundraiser has been set up to help alleviate funeral expenses and provide a donation to the National Alliance on Mental Illness: https://gofund.me/17fd367b. If you have the financial means, please consider a donation.
In the event of any technical difficulties during the live-stream a recording of the ceremony will be available afterwards.