Shannon died at home from lung cancer on November 21, 2016.

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Thanks to Daniel Donaldson for sending us information about Shannon's Washelli obituary.

Shannon was born October 12th, 1952 in Seattle, Washington to Norene Agnes and Charles Patrick O'Toole. He died November 21st, 2016 in Kenmore, WA.

Living in the Haller Lake area of Seattle growing up, Shannon began working jobs at an early age. He attended Ingraham High School.

In 1974, he married Linda Diggs who also grew up in North Seattle. Shannon worked many different jobs as an apprentice carpenter and gardener for the Seattle School District. He then chose the career of shipbuilding, repair, and maintenance, starting at Olympic Boat Sales as a rigger, then LeClerq Marine on Lake Union, and then he went to Marco Seattle, where he became a marine outside mechanic in 1980. After attending Seattle Community college to study Diesel Mechanics, Refrigeration, and Hydraulics, he became a journeyman mechanic. He worked with welding, specializing in all hydraulic systems: steering, lifting, wench operations, and more.

In 1979, his first son Shane was born, followed by daughter Erin, and son Ryan. So his career in ship mechanics and his growing family of 5 became his life.

Shannon's work was strenuous and dangerous. Numerous times he'd come home midday, covered in hydraulic fluid, where a joint or pipe had burst over him. He nearly cut off a finger, which was re-attached at Ballard Hospital. His mechanic skills in the marine field took him to Dutch Harbor, CA; Ferndale, WA; and Honolulu, HI. He worked on fishing vessels, long-liners, processing ships, tug boats, the Princess Victoria, and Navy vessels. He helped build and install a giant hydrofoil "wing" at the Navy yard near Pearl Harbor. What kept him going in this job was his family, he got to come home to his 3 children each night, except when he had to work around the clock to meet deadlines, and wait sometimes for months when he worked on location.

His interests included fishing, especially salmon and steelhead; deer and elk hunting; both with modern rifle and bow hunting. He enjoyed hiking, family camping--just being out in the woods and mountains--these places were his spiritual church. He taught himself to fly tie, reload bullets for shooting, repair and refinish his wood boat, and rebuild his cars. Shannon was always working on the cars, as well as outboard motors. His motors rarely went to a garage for repair. He was always thinking of how things worked.

The physical cost of his job forced him to "retire" early in 2005 due to Inflammatory Rheumatoid Arthritis. The combination of this auto-immune disease, with the immune lowering effects of his RA medications, contributed greatly to his deteriorating health. He suffered with this illness his last 11 years.

After the senseless death of their son, Shane, at the hand of a mentally ill acquaintance in 2009, Shannon struggled greatly to accept and begin to heal from this tragic loss. We believe that losing Shane was a huge factor in Shannon's declining health.

We all have faith that he is now resting peace with the Lord. We all miss him greatly. Shannon is survived by his beloved wife Linda, children Erin Kristen and Ryan Michael, sisters Nora, Sheila, Terry, and Peggy, and also his mother, Norene.