Celebrating the Life of Laura Shanahan

In Remembrance

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Laura Christine Shanahan a loving wife, mother and friend. She passed away suddenly, but peacefully on July 23, 2020. Laura lived an adventurous life, traveling the world with her beloved husband Ed. She is survived by Ed, her sons Devin (Stefanie) and Brent (Bri), her sisters Cindy (John) and Joni (Gary), her Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Lyle.

Laura Christine Coleman was born in Renton, Washington on October 10, 1949. She grew up in Santa Maria, California as the oldest of three sisters from John and Margaret Coleman. She moved to South Carolina when she met Ed Shanahan and they married in 1984. Laura and Ed had two sons, Devin in 1986 and Brent in 1987. In 1988, the family relocated to Highlands Ranch, Colorado where she resided for the remainder of her life.

Her career began at Boeing Aerospace in the Human Resources department, where she fondly remembers working alongside her father. After transitioning to a similar role at Lockheed Martin Aerospace, Laura met Ed and they moved to South Carolina shortly thereafter. There she landed her dream job as a Flight Attendant for Eastern Airlines. When the family moved to Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Laura operated a home daycare for eight years. She then moved on to working as a Sales Coordinator in the Trade Show industry until she retired. During her retirement, she found work she enjoyed at Homestead Animal Hospital followed by Nutrition Services at Highlands Ranch High School.

She was a dedicated, loving wife and mother who took a very active role in her son's lives; never missing an event. She was a very active person who loved the outdoors. She was passionate about hiking, bike riding, snow and water skiing, golf, and attending various sporting events. Whether planning parties, trips, or serving a home-cooked meal, she will always be remembered for bringing people together.

Laura lived to travel, visiting most US states and many other countries with Ed and her sons. Every few years, Laura looked forward to reuniting with her sisters to celebrate milestone birthdays in new destinations. She felt so fortunate to take an incredible family trip to Italy in 2018 including her son's beautiful wives, who she loved very much. Her adventurous spirit and positive attitude were part of the secret to her happiness.

Laura touched a lot of lives and will be greatly missed by all who were lucky enough to know her.

From The Family

A heartfelt thank you to all who have expressed love, concern, and kindness during our time of bereavement.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating in Laura’s name to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. They support research, patient service and advocacy, and clinical initiatives for pancreatic cancer:

Donate

Services & Memorials

Casual dress is welcome. Masks will be available and must be worn during the service. There will be a (social-distanced) toast in Laura’s honor across the street at the Marshdale Park, following the celebration of life.

For those unable to attend, there will be a live stream of the memorial.

The live stream of the service can be found on YouTube and will begin Friday at 10am Mountain Time:
View the live stream

The slide show that will be played as a part of the service can be viewed here:
View the slide show on YouTube