He was the greatest son one could imagine
In the summer of 2023, when catastrophic floods swept through Vermont and left the city of Barre submerged and shaken, Shawn McDonald became a familiar sight moving from one waterlogged basement to the next. With his generator and water pump in tow, he worked tirelessly to clear homes and businesses of floodwater. He never asked for payment. He simply showed up because that’s who he was. For Shawn, service was not an act of heroism–it was purely instinct.
Shawn lived life with an ambitious drive, a penchant for hard work, and contagious joie de vivre. He had a deep passion for bass fishing and deer hunting, where he found peace and purpose and delighted in teaching others his skills. After high school, he went to tech school for data workers of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local #300. He worked as a data installer and as a carpenter before starting his own construction company. One of his proudest achievements was the house he built for his mother.
To his father, Tom, and mother, Susan, Shawn was “the greatest son one could imagine,” steadfast, loyal, and endlessly giving. He held a special place in the lives of his nieces and nephews, who adored him. Shawn was deeply devoted and very close to his younger brother, Scott, watching over him and his friends with fierce, protective loyalty. He also enjoyed a close kinship with Scott’s wife, Monica. His stepmother, Patricia, was his confidante, and the family’s memories with Shawn–holiday gatherings, Christmas traditions, and vacations to Maine are remembered fondly.
By 2024, Shawn had a lot to look forward to. His construction business was steadily growing, and his dreams of retiring before 55 were increasingly feasible. He had plans to marry his partner, Ashley Clark. More than anything, Shawn dreamed of having children he could teach to fish and hunt, sharing with them the passions that had shaped him.
But everything that Shawn was working toward was cut short. A back injury that required prescribed pain medication derailed Shawn’s carefully planned future and set in motion a struggle that ultimately claimed his life. In the aftermath of their loss, his family now faces the devastating truth of just how ubiquitous Shawn’s story is. His passing has left a deep and painful chasm in his family and community–an absence felt daily in the quiet moments, the traditions, and the places he once filled with such life and generosity.
Now Tom attends a grief group and spreads awareness about the dangers of substance use disorder.
Shawn is missed every single day.
Shawn’s father, Tom McDonald, provided the information for this narrative
May 3, 1983-January 5, 2024-Age 40
Portrait Artist: Clayton Conner
Narrative Writer: Livia Cohen
