Rita Jane Shannon

Rita Jane Shannon, 75, of Fairfield, beloved wife of John H. Shannon, retired Judge of Probate, died on July 4 at Norwalk Hospital after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born in New York City on May 6, 1930, to William J. Stoutenburgh, a founding partner of C.J. Devine, a Wall Street investment firm now the bond department of Merrill Lynch, and Emily Marie Stoutenburgh (nee Kealy).

Mrs Shannon was blessed with four children, Elizabeth S. Frassinelli of Newtown, Barbara S. Chipman of Bellows Falls, Vt., Susan E. Regan of Fairfield, and John W. Shannon of Trumbull. She found particular joy in her three grandchildren, Kealy Chipman, Paul Ryan Chipman, and Emily Regan. Mrs Shannon will also be greatly missed by her brother, William J. Stoutenburgh, Jr, and his wife, Peggy, of Naples, Fla.; her son-in-law David W. Frassinelli; future daughter-in-law Jodie A. Kuczarski; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister, Dorothy Delores Blanchfield of Saddle River, N. J.

Mrs Shannon grew up in Ridgewood, N.J., attending Mount Carmel Catholic Grammar School prior to graduating from Benedictine Academy and The College of New Rochelle. Her graduate studies were at Columbia University.

Summers were spent in Lake George, N.Y., water skiing, playing tennis, and enjoying the Lake George Club, of which she was a member. From 1994 to 2004 Mrs Shannon resided in Naples, Fla., where she was a member of The Moorings Beach Club and served on the Collier County Jury Panel. She was a member of the St Williams Roman Catholic Church while living in Naples.

Mrs Shannon’s community work began with four years of social work in Patterson for the Catholic Diocese of New Jersey. An original founder of Fairfield Fish, a senior citizen support agency, Mrs Shannon was also vice president of the Greenfield Hill Improvement Association, member of the Timothy Dwight Elementary School PTA, volunteer for the Fairfield Country Day School Consignment Sale, and volunteer for the Fairfield Kiwanis.

Active in Republican politics, Mrs Shannon served as treasurer of her husband’s two state senatorial campaigns, treasurer of her husband’s four elections to Fairfield Judge of Probate while serving 14 years on the Fairfield RTM, chairing the Public Health and Safety Committee and serving as district leader of Greenfield Hill District Three. A realtor with Town Green Realty and Fairfield County Realty, Mrs Shannon also worked in her husband’s law practice and the Fairfield Probate Court. Past associations include the Brooklawn Country Club, the Black Rock Yacht Club, the Greenfield Hill Grange and The Algonquin Club where she co-chaired the entertainment committee. A member of St Pius parish in Fairfield for 27 years, Mrs Shannon enjoyed many Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University basketball games with her husband of 50 years.

The family would like to express their appreciation of the many efforts of the Fairfield Fire Fighters and EMS as well as the staff of Norwalk Hospital, Yale New Haven Hospital, and Health & Homecare Resources of Norwalk.

Services were at St Pius Church, Fairfield on July 7 followed by a burial at Oaklawn Cemetery.

Charitable contributions in her memory should be made to The McGivney Center, 338 Stillman Street, Bridgeport CT 06610 or The Melanoma Research Foundation, 24 Old Georgetown Road, Princeton, NJ 08540.

The Newtown Bee        July 8, 2005