Obituary of SHAWN EILEEN WALSH WELLING

Shawn Eileen Walsh (November 16 1960- March 15 2019)

Shawn died suddenly, but peacefully on March 15 2019. Shawn was predeceased by her mother Julie Walsh and her brother Rick Walsh. Shawn is survived by her daughters Julie Walsh (Riley Chambers) and Samantha Welling, grandchildren Taylor Tysoski and Amari Welling, her father Raymond Walsh, her siblings Ken Walsh, Kim Kropla, and Heather Vandervis, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Shawn was born in Winnipeg Manitoba. The second of five children she grew up in a close-knit family, where everyone loved to talk, laugh, and spend time together in their family cabin in Chalet Beach MB.

In 1980 she moved to Alberta, found love, and become a mother for the first time. During these years she spent time with her cousins, and ‘new’ Italian family, raising her daughter, Julie, and exploring Alberta. She will be remembered as a beautiful, smart, and loving woman who always had a huge smile (and great hair).

She later moved back to Winnipeg, met her next love and had her second daughter, Sammie. During the 1990’s she stayed home to raise, Sammie, while also running a home day care. She was loved by all of the children and families she worked with and was a favorite ‘mother’ to many of her daughters’ friends. As her daughters were getting older, she returned to school to pursue a career in helping children and youth with complex needs. She will be remembered for her loving nature, creativity, quick wit, humour, and easy-going personality, which made her so easy to talk to.

During these years she also traveled extensively and had adventures that included trips through Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and her many trips to Mexico and the Caribbean. While she travelled frequently and cherished these memories, she was still happiest spending her summer with family at cabin. She will be remembered tanning, talking, laughing, and having drinks on the deck.

In 2000 her life was changed forever as a result of a coma and an acquired a brain injury. While, she overcame many physical, cognitive, emotional, and institutional, barriers in the past 20 years, she did so in a positive, upbeat, determined, loving, and humours way. She became an active member of the Manitoba Brain Injury Association and Society of Manitobans with Disabilities. She was proud of the speeches she had made for MBIA and that she was able to share her experiences of living with a brain injury. She was also fiercely proud that she maintained her independence throughout her life. She will be remembered always smiling, reading a magazine, watching games shows, eating her candies, or telling (often inappropriate) jokes.

Her family was her greatest source of support, her daughters were her greatest source of pride and her grandchildren were her greatest joy. She was constantly telling Taylor ‘how handsome’ he was and spoiling her Amari with gifts and love from ‘Gamma’.  Her friend Mark was a most faithful companion and spent as much time as he could with her. We take comfort in knowing he was with her in her final moments, walking with her side by side.  Liz was her closest friend, and they shared a deep bond together navigating life after a brain injury. Her many friends from MBIA, were great supports throughout the past two decades, particularly David, who has been an advocate and ally with her over the years. Their support gave her a source of belonging and community, which helped her heal in a way her family could not. For that we are forever grateful. She will be remembered as a caring, independent, friendly, determined, and stubborn woman who always tried to help others.

After her coma she found faith on God, taking comfort in thinking about Heaven and the afterlife. She would often say she spoke with God while in her coma and she knew death would be peaceful. We take comfort in the knowing that she is finally at peace, and while her life was short, she lived and experienced enough for many life times.

A private service will be held on Sunday March 24^th 2019. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to The Manitoba Brain Injury Association.