John Franklin Shannon

John Franklin Shannon, 83, passed away on Friday, May 1, 2015 after a courageous four-month struggle with brain cancer. His wife of 57 years, Jeanne, was at his side. John was born in Northumberland, Pennsylvania in 1932 to James Baker Shannon and Martha Shoffstall Shannon. In addition to his wife, several nephews and nieces survive him. He was preceded in death by his brother, Dr. Robert Shannon of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. An avid tennis player, John won several tournaments in the southwest during the 1970's and '80's and his interest in tennis continued to the end of his life. From an early age, he was drawn to the study of Europe, especially the language and culture of France. He became proficient in reading and speaking both French and Spanish. After he retired from a career as a marketing manager for Mountain Bell Telephone, he and Jeanne traveled to France and other countries in Europe to experience their languages and cultures firsthand. Among his other strong interests was the study of deep ancestry, the tracing of one's roots back to the dawn of human existence through DNA testing. In recent years he enjoyed taking classes offered by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of the University of New Mexico. No memorial service is planned. In lieu of flowers, contributions in John's memory to Osher at UNM Continuing Education, unmfund.org or to Animal Humane Society of New Mexico animalhumanenm.org would be welcomed.