Shawn Dhillon (May 3, 1964 - September 10, 2020) – our beloved son, brother, uncle and friend – passed away on September 10th. The life of Shawn defied simple description in almost any form – let alone in an obituary. Shawn embraced life to the fullest; he was about life not death. He lived large, loved to party, and enjoyed himself to the maximum whenever possible. His legendary stories, outrageous sense of humour and amazing capacity for kindness and generosity were unrivalled. Despite his carefree swagger and outwardly confident persona, Shawn was a gentle, sensitive man who loved, and was loved by, many. His wide circle of friends and family have suffered a sad and serious loss with Shawn’s passing.
The hole in our family, in his circle of friends, and in his professional community, cannot be filled because he was utterly unique; he was truly one of a kind.
Shawn graduated high school in 1982 from Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Saskatchewan. He earned his Bachelor of Arts at Simon Fraser University and worked hard for a place on the Dean’s list. In the early 90s Shawn moved to London, England to pursue an academic career at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) where he earned two Master’s degrees, one in Sociology and one in Philosophy. He was on the cusp of a PHD, specializing in Sikhism, when he decided to put it on hold to become fully engaged in photography and the London cultural scene, a thriving community where he met many of his lifelong friends.
In recent years, Shawn turned his prodigious creative talents and intellect to counseling and supporting people with special needs to live their best lives. Shawn was truly remarkable in his ability to innovate and bring personality to a potentially institutional environment. He introduced gardening, acting, film, cooking and travel into this matrix and was instrumental in creating new programs for the individuals he supported.
It has been all of our privilege to know Shawn and bask in his large, quirky, radiant personality. We will miss his fond impersonations of loved ones, his intense enthusiasm for esoteric religion, art and philosophy. Mostly, we will miss his kind, wry smile, jokes, booming, contagious laughter and positive approach to life.
Shawn is survived by his parents Jagdev and Brajinder Dhillon, his sister Tina Dhillon (Graham Smith), his nieces Paisley and Scarlett Smith, his nephew Reed Smith, and his many other family members and friends. His twin sister, Sheila Dhillon, predeceased him in 2006.
A joyous celebration of Shawn’s life will be planned for a later date. Shawn’s family would like to thank everyone for their kind condolences, thoughtful memories, deliveries of food and so much more. Just as Shawn would, we urge you to fondly remember the great times, but maybe more importantly, continue to be kind and embrace life to the fullest. As Shawn would often say: “Life is simple. Be excellent.”
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