Shawn Davis Sudia-Skehan

Shawn Davis Sudia-Skehan obituary, Decatur, GA

Shawn Davis Sudia-Skehan

Shawn Sudia-Skehan Obituary

Visit the A.S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home & Crematory website to view the full obituary.


Shawn Sudia-Skehan was born to William Daniel Sudia and Margueritte Elizabeth Delony on September 5, 1951 in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended Druid Hills High School, where she made lifelong friendships and met her husband-to-be, Paul Skehan. She majored in English at Georgia State University from which her nascent interest in books grew into a lifelong exploration of literature. After graduation, she and Paul married. She held positions as the Director of Public Information for the Georgia Hospital Association and as Manager of Communications for the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. In the 1990s, she left the corporate world to engage in her love for the arts as managing partner of a fine crafts gallery.

Shawn engaged in many passions in her life: the Beatles, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Michael Crawford, England, the Brontes. . . But one day, she saw a copy of The Great Gatsby, remembered having read it in high school, and decided to read it again as an adult. Thus began her greatest and most passionate undertaking, understanding the lives of F. Scott Fitzgerald, his wife Zelda, and their daughter Scottie.

She collected Fitzgerald memorabilia, served on the board of directors of the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery, Alabama for many years and as the museum's director of acquisitions. She gave many donations of Fitzgerald memorabilia to the museum, and a wing of the Museum was named after her. Her penchant for research led her to the archives of the University of South Carolina, Princeton, Yale, and Vassar, and to the private collections of the families of contemporaries of the Fitzgeralds. She felt strongly that Fitzgerald had been unjustly portrayed by earlier biographers which led to a public persona that she felt needed to be corrected.

At the Fourteenth International F. Scott Fitzgerald Society Conference in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 2017, Shawn curated an exhibition of rare photographs entitled "Sight Unseen." It was a natural progression for her to combine her extensive research, her catalog of photographs, and a desire to correct negative perceptions. The result is a book entitled An Apprehension of Splendor: A Biography in Photographs of F. Scott Fitzgerald and His Family. She handpicked and annotated 344 rare photographs, 180 of which had never been published. The book was published by the University of Alabama Press the day after she died.

Shawn passed away peacefully surrounded by love ones on June 13, 2025, after a brief illness. She is preceded in death by her parents and beloved husband Paul. She is survived by her sister Shelly Sudia and her husband Terry Spahr, sisters-in-law Joanna Skehan and Molly and husband John Drury, brother-in-law Jamie Skehan and his wife Mary, and many nieces and nephews. A Visitation will be held Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 10 o'clock a.m. with the Memorial Service to follow at 11 o'clock a.m. in the chapel at A.S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home in Decatur.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

A.S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home & Crematory

2773 North Decatur Road P.O. Box 4000, Decatur, GA 30031

Make a Donation
in Shawn Sudia-Skehan's name

Plan and Price a Funeral

Create a funeral plan and price estimate in less than 5 minutes.

How to support Shawn's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.

Read more
Attending a Funeral: What to Know

You have funeral questions, we have answers.

Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?

What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?

Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?

We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.

Read more
Resources to help you cope with loss
Estate Settlement Guide

If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.

Read more
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast

Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.

Read more
The Five Stages of Grief

They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.

Read more
Ways to honor Shawn Sudia-Skehan's life and legacy
Obituary Examples

You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.

Read more
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples

These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.

Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?

Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.

Read more

Sponsored

Plan and Price a Funeral

Create a funeral plan and price estimate in less than 5 minutes.