Don Edwin Shannon

SHANNON, DON EDWIN
Don Edwin Shannon died on June 2, 2007 after a brave and valiant ten year struggle with Parkinson's Disease and a fall that left him wheelchair bound for the last six years of his life. Don was born in L.A. on October 20, 1928, the only child of Ed and Florence Pratt Shannon. He grew up in SD and LA then joined the Army Air Corps in 1945 where he served in the Philippines until his Honorable discharge in 1947. Don then used the G.I. Bill to attend San Bernardino Valley College, Univ. of Redlands, and Long Beach State College where he received his Masters in History. In 1951, he met and married the beautiful and intelligent Doris Jeannette Simpson. Don and Doris were love-partners until her death in 1996. They are survived by their two sons Patrick (1954) (Elsa) and Kevin (1957) (Linda) and their four magnificent grandchildren: Brock (1980), Bridget and Alana (1994) and Connor (2001). Don taught at Sierra Jr. H.S. and Ramona H.S. in Riverside, CA until the family moved to SD in 1965 where Don began a 33 year teaching position at Grossmont C.C. He taught U.S., Latin American, California, and San Diego County History. He was an extremely popular and accessible educator to both students and staff. In 1997, he retired as a "Professor Emeritus". During his career, he also found the time and passion to write four books: 1. Mission to Metropolis: A History of San Diego 2. A Comparitive History of the Americas 3. A Short History of SD County 4. San Diego (co-authored by Lee Peterson) Furthermore, Don helped found the "Community College Social Science Quarterly" a journal with subscribers all over the world. Don had a great love for folk- music and the Irish band U-2! His legacy as a musician (guitar, bass, and guitarrone) has been passed down to his sons and grandchildren; to include his oldest grandson, Brock, an accomplished musician whose music can be heard at www.myspace.com/thebrittlelens A great source of family pride is Don's and Doris' participation in co-founding a chapter of the "Congress of Racial Equality" (C.O.R.E.)in the early 1960's/ They showed great courage, in a time of grave danger for those who openly supported civil rights for all Americans, reaching out to the Black and Hispanic communities in a show of solidarity, long before it was fashionably acceptable to do so. Their offspring will continue to carry the torch of equality for generations unseen. Don and Doris had a huge and diverse group of close friends that included the: Ropers, Scanlans, Scoullers, Porters, Amovs, Quittners, and so many more left un-named. Don's "Wake" took place on June 8, 2007 at Aztec Park in La Mesa, CA where dozens of his closest friends and family attended. He was cremated and his remains placed in the Pacific Ocean along with his beloved wife, Dosie. Condolences may be sent to: The Shannon Family, 11925 Bella Vista, Wichita, KS 67212 or e-mailed to keeper275@yahoo.com Please sign the guest book at obituaries.uniontrib.com