A. Laura Shannon

Laura married her greatest love and partner in the adventure of life, Michael E. Shannon, on the 4th of July 1964. Together they had two children, both girls, and were the proud grandparents to two grandchildren.

Laura was born on the 3rd of June 1939, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Edward and Agatha McGrath. She spent her formative years in St. Louis and after graduating high school, she attended the University of Alabama and Webster Grove College from where she graduated.

After graduation, Laura moved to Houston to pursue a career in teaching. It was there that she met her beloved husband of 56 years Michael. Prior to marrying Mike, Laura moved to Madrid, Spain for a year to teach English. During her time in Spain Laura had the opportunity to travel throughout Europe and the Middle East, which ignited a lifelong passion for travel, learning about other cultures, and recognizing the need to make impactful contributions to the world at large.

Laura was a keen volunteer with a passion for serving those in need. She won several volunteer awards including the prestigious Minneapolis KARE Cares Volunteer of the Year Award for her work as a mediator in the Minneapolis family courts. One of her proudest achievements was serving on the board of the Nanovic Institute at the University of Notre Dame. Given her passion for continuing education, Laura and Mike worked with the University of Notre Dame to create the Laura Shannon Book Prize in Contemporary European Studies. Carrying a prize of $10,000, the Laura Shannon Book Prize is awarded annually to the author of the best book in European studies that transcends a focus on any one country, state, or people to stimulate new ways of thinking about contemporary Europe as a whole.

Laura’s vivacious personality and zest for life enabled her to make genuine, life-long friendships which were very important to her throughout her life. A woman of many interests, Laura’s passions included education, travel, cooking, laughter, performing and visual arts, self-improvement, and having “intellectual” conversations about foreign affairs, to name a few. At the age of 50, she decided to become fluent in French and spent the years preceding her illness achieving that goal.

A strong Catholic, Laura endeavored to deepen her relationship with God through her volunteer work, church retreats, and serving on the board of various religious organizations including the United Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Most precious to Laura was her family. She was the proud parent of two daughters and devoted to her grandchildren who brought her great joy.

Laura is preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Agatha McGrath; and her brother, John McGrath. She is survived by her husband, Michael Shannon; brother, Martin McGrath; children, Claire Kelly and Kathryn Shannon; and grandchildren, Thomas and Beatrice Kelly.

Mrs. Shannon’s family would like to express their gratitude to all of her friends for their continued friendship, thoughtfulness, and emotional support throughout her disease. Additionally the family would like to thank the caregivers at The Hallmark for their kindness and the compassionate way they cared for Mrs. Shannon.

Laura was a true original and lived honestly with purpose and passion. William Shakespeare’s quote from Hamlet best sums up her beliefs:

“This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow as the night the day

Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

The family will gather for a private Mass of Christian Burial at St. Anne Catholic Church followed by the Rite of Committal at Glenwood Cemetery.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in her name be directed to the Nanovic Institute at the University of Notre Dame in memory of Laura Shannon. Gifts may be made online at giving.nd.edu, by phone at (574) 631-5150, or by mail: University of Notre Dame, Department of Development, 1100 Grace Hall, Notre Dame, IN, 46556.