Shawn Paley

Paley, Shawn ROCKAWAY, N.J. Shawn "Shimon" Jeremy Paley, 52, died on Saturday, September 20, 2014. Although a California native, Shawn grew up in New Jersey. While at Morris Hills High School, Shawn enjoyed participating in many high school clubs. His favorite was traveling to Farleigh Dickenson University on evenings after his father taught math classes, to play in the campus judo club with his brother and father. Shawn pointed out that learning how to roll properly was a skill which served him well on several occasions. Shawn was an avid gamer, back in the days when games involved hexagonal grid paper. Shawn's keen intellect gave him the ability to repeatedly defeat adult trained military minds at nearly any paper battle game, and then do over it again after switching to play the opposing side. Shawn's amazing mind always gifted him with the ability to see how to use challenges as an advantage, such as when his brother Mark cheated by re-programming a computer game to surround Shawn's tanks with mines, winning the game anyway. Before Shawn graduated from Rutgers University with a bachelor's of science degree in business administration, he first completed Hadassah's life-changing Year-in-Israel course, where he developed a lifetime love for Israel. Shawn and his wife Yehudit Paley spent several years living in Israel, raising the son he adored, Shmuel Yacov. When his physical needs required Shawn to return to New Jersey, with his parents, Isadore Rodney and Sandra, he took great comfort and solace in immersing himself in the teaching and camaraderie at the Chabad Learning Center, a short walk from his home. Shawn regularly shared with his friends, family members, and a large group of social network online followers, such knowledge gained by these religious studies, how it was reflected and validated by modern scientific discoveries, and how it affected normal everyday life. It was Shawn's nature to always think of others before himself, including saving his brother's life, twice. Shawn bravely confronted multiple serious medical issues throughout his entire life, with such strength and resilience that he often successfully hid from those closest to him the extent of the physical pain which he endured, as a matter of course. Shawn always had a smile, never succumbing to life's problems which would have frozen most other people in their tracks. Shawn's most lasting testament will always be that his brilliant mind shone so brightly that most people around him might never even have known the underlying disabilities impeding him. Throughout his life, Shawn was unerringly a better brother than anyone ever deserved, and the best father and son he could be. Shawn's absence leaves behind a painful void which can never be filled. Shawn shall ever be irreplaceable. For shiva and donation details, please call J.L. Apter Memorial Chapels of Dover N.J. at (973)366-1700.