Shawn Gregory Mari

Memorial donations may be left at Frontier Bank in Burlington, CO or at the KCC Fair office for the 4-H Council in memory of Shawn.
Shawn Gregory Mari, age 58, was born on March 22, 1966 to James and Constance
(Craig) Mari in Sterling Colorado. The family moved to Burlington in 1968 where Shawn was
raised with his siblings Jeff, Kevin, and Pam. Growing up with 2 older brothers and a sister, there
was always someone to play with, ride horses, and especially get in trouble with. Shawn grew
fond of horses at a young age, his dad would bring home horses from the sale and he and his
siblings would spend most of their time with the horses. When he was still pretty young, he had
a horse named Charlie Brown that was so tall Shawn had to climb his legs to be able to get on.
Until they had a driver's license and could go on their own, his parents would haul the kids to
Gymkhanas wherever they could find them.
Shawn attended school in Burlington and when in high school he participated in
wrestling. Shortly before he graduated in May of 1985, he met Amy (Pruitt) Mari at a prom. He
married Amy on January 18, 1986 at the Methodist church in Kanorado, Kansas. In May 1986
they welcomed their first child, Victoria and became a family of 3. They moved to Blencoe, Iowa
for a year and then returned to the Goodland/Kanorado area where they welcomed their only
son James who was born 2 years later in March 1989. In September 1991 they bought their
home west of Burlington, where Shawn continued to live and build a family and home he was
proud of. Shawn was very passionate about his home and always made sure every nail and
screw was in place.
He loved teaching his kids, nieces, nephews, and any other kid that came to his home
about the love of animals but especially horses. Shawn started teaching his children to ride as
soon as they could sit on a horse just like he did. He had many horses throughout his life but his
favorite was Dandy. He had him from the time he was a colt until he passed away at over 30
years old. This was the horse his wife, both his kids, and many others learned to ride on.
Whether he was teaching basic riding skills, the barrels, flag race, pole pattern, or how to swing
a rope, he loved it all. His goal was to make all of the kids happy and made sure they always had
fun. Shawn and Amy took their kids to many rodeos and attended numerous sporting events to
support their children. At a rodeo Shawn saw his first corgi, shortly after he got himself one. In
1991 he started raising them and SAMS Corgis was established. Many people from all over the
US would eventually find a forever pet. Shawn even had books written about his puppies that
he had raised. He would use the money he got from the litters to pay for entry fees at rodeos
for Tori and James. During the winter months when Shawn and Amy were not hauling their kids
around to different rodeos, he still knew how to have fun and put a smile on the kids face.
Shawn loved to pull the kids on a sled behind the horses after a good snow. Shawn loved
watching his kids in anything they competed in.
Shawn worked for the Burlington Coop (now known as Stratton Coop car care center)
repairing tires for many years and made numerous lifelong friendships there. After an injury he
was no longer able to do that type of work so he took his love of animals and started raising
boer goats and participating in 4-H with his kids. After a couple of years of showing the boer
goats in the dairy goat show, and seeing market goat classes offered at other area county fairs,
Shawn and Amy approached the fair board and asked for them to change the goat show to
include a Market Goat class. The 1
st year there were only 10 exhibitors. From this one
conversation, the Market Goat Show has grown into the current show we enjoy at the fair
today. Shawn was an unofficial 4-H volunteer for many years while his kids participated before
becoming an official 4-H leader for the market goat project in 2005. Shawn would work hard in
getting all of the kids and animals ready for the county fair. Tori and Shawn worked extra hard
to keep a mare in top shape that happened to win multiple championships and every time
Shawn would have the biggest smile on his face. Even if his kids or nieces and nephews did not
exceed how they expected. Shawn would give great advice, " just have fun". Not only did he
have a passion for 4-H, but him and Amy always grew a beautiful garden. As soon as the
pumpkins would start growing Shawn would take all of the kids out to the garden and they
could carve their initials in the pumpkin. Once the pumpkins were ready to be picked you could
see the scars of all of the initials on the pumpkins that the kids picked months earlier. Shawn
and Amy would set up a large pumpkin display for all others who did not get to carve their
initials to choose from.
Shawn always welcomed anyone to his home, where most family gatherings took place.
He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, getting together in the garage with lots of
food, conversation and laughter. He had a rich and full life with a huge heart, as many would say
a heart of gold. His kids and grandkids have several friends who spent lots of time at the house
and to Shawn, they are just another grandchild, not by blood, but by choice. He claimed them
all as his family. Whatever he did for his own grandchildren, he did for any other child around.
He loved them and disciplined them all the same, whether you are blood related or not.
Shawn is preceded in death by his parents, James and Constance Mari, his grandparents
Newton and Bessie Craig, Jacob and Christinia Mari, and numerous aunts and uncles.
He is survived by his wife Amy, Daughter Victoria (Alex) Crossland, Son James (Aubrey) Mari.
brothers Jeffrey Mari, Kevin Mari, sister Pamela (Steven) Herman. Grandchildren: Bailey
Weiand, Braxton Crossland, Brennen Crossland, Kinsley Mari, and Paisley Mari. Several nieces,
nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Shawn passed away on July 5, 2024 at Swedish Hospital in Englewood, Colorado following a
short courageous battle with cancer.