Shawn Crowley Sendlinger

1963 - 2024

Shawn Crowley Sendlinger

March 27, 1963 - July 2, 2024

Durham, North Carolina - Dr. Shawn Crowley Sendlinger, 61 yo, of Durham, NC, passed away on 7/2/24 following 2 years of treatment for grade IV glioblastoma. He was home on hospice surrounded by his family and his beloved cat Rosey when he died.

Shawn was born on 3/27/63 in The Dalles, OR to parents Robert and Dorothy Sendlinger. Robert was a flour mill foreman and Dorothy was a substitute English teacher and homemaker. Shawn was the youngest of 3 siblings. His older brother Kurt Sendlinger is deceased and his middle brother Paul Sendlinger lives in Hermiston, OR.

Shawn made friends easily and along with his best friend from childhood, Sean Hilden, decided to pursue a path of higher education. Shawn earned a BS in Chemistry from Oregon State University, his PhD in Chemistry from Cornell University, and completed his postdoctoral work at Indiana University. Shawn was a Professor of Chemistry at North Carolina Central University for 32 years where he enjoyed teaching chemistry to undergraduate and graduate students, ran a lab for research, served as department chairman for several years, and participated in community education by supporting our local Science Bowl and teaching educational workshops across the country through the Shodor Foundation.

Shawn had a wonderful love for nature and the great outdoors and enjoyed hiking and paddleboarding on Yonah Lake where he was restoring a beloved family fishing cabin. Shawn enjoyed drinking and making artisan beer with friends. He loved spending time with his family, reading, studying history, traveling, cracking jokes, marksmanship, and long bike rides.

We will miss Shawn's loving and fun nature, calm confidence, and sense of humor, as well as his home brew and love of family, friendship, hanging out with his "guy gang", and kitty Rosey/Roosevelt.

Shawn was blessed to have friends in many communities across the area including our NCCU and Duke families, our church family at Watts St Baptist Church, our Long Meadow neighbors, his colleagues involved in The Shodor Foundation workshops and the Science Bowl, and friends made through our children over our 32 years in Durham. Shawn was always the first person to offer kind assistance or a helping hand.

We would like to thank many who have loved and helped Shawn and our family especially over the past few years while Shawn was being treated. We deeply thank Dr. Annick Desjardins, Dr. John Kirkpatrick, Dr. Allan Friedman, Chevelle, Melody, and the brain tumor clinical research team, and all the caregivers at the Duke Brain Tumor Program, the Duke Infusion and Radiation Treatment Centers, and the Duke University Hospital Neurology ICU. His "guy gang" of Lars Trost, Tom Grizzle, Rob Stiefvater, Sam Honeycutt, Tula Milliken, and Nate Nicely kept Shawn laughing and moving through good and harder times and were a source of great joy, fun, and eventful excursions. His devoted graduate student Jim Giles took him to lunch every week during his illness. Our long time friends Dr. Jeff and Susan Crawford, PA-C were a source of great comfort, visiting Shawn in the clinic and at home and John Blackell was always there to check Shawn into the clinic and help him with logistics. Our Duke and Duke Raleigh colleagues and family supported us and included Dr. Carey Anders, Dr. Neeraj Agrawal, navigator Whitney Nash, RN, Dr. Joel Rivera, Julia Cook, NP-C, Dr. Marvaretta Stevenson, Dr. Scott Smith, Roshni Mapp, PA-C, nurses Ashley Gentry, Ashley Bower, Jennifer Mizelle, Melissa Yalango, Vereterrica Rushdan, William Reynolds, Tyesha Horton, the whole Duke Thoracic Oncology team, Duke Raleigh Oncology providers, Duke Raleigh Cancer Center staff and providers, and special administrative assistant and dear friend Clara Bailey. Shawn's colleagues at NCCU including Dean Mohammad Ahmed, his many chemistry department colleagues, and HR specialist Sandra Bailey were a constant source of comfort and care. Our amazing Duke Hospice team included Kristina Hobb, RN, Mark Powell, Cheryl McNair, Shawanda, and Aliyah. We also thank all the leadership, staff, and members from the Lung Cancer Initiative for their ongoing love and support.

Shawn is survived by his wife of 27 years, Dr. Jennifer Garst, his daughter Shelby Garst Sendlinger, and his son Jack Garst Sendlinger as well as his brother Paul Sendinger and nephews Alex Sendlinger and Jessie Sendlinger and their families. His wife Jennifer and children Shelby and Jack were the joy and center of his life.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday 7/13/24 at 3 p.m. in Watts Street Baptist Church in Durham, NC with a reception to follow at 5 p.m. at our home.

Donations may be made in Shawn's memory to the NCCU Chemistry Department nccu.edu/institutional-advancement/giving-online, the Preston Tisch Brain Tumor Center ( attn: Anne Beebe), DUMC Box 3624, Rm 047, Baker House, Durham, NC 27710, the Duke Thoracic Oncology Program ( attn: Clara Bailey), DUMC 3198, Durham, NC 27710, Duke Homecare and Hospice, 4321 Medical Park Drive, Suite 101, Durham, NC 27704, and/or Watts Street Baptist Church Youth Group Program ( attn: Kelly Sasser), 800 Watts St, Durham, NC 27701, or Lung Cancer Initiative, lungcancerinitiative.org and use Donation button.