HOLLY SPRINGS — Shannon Kathryn Barry McHone, 32, passed away peacefully Thursday, April 11, 2019, after a heroic nine-year battle with brain cancer. It was a beautiful early spring afternoon, a perfect day for her to return to our Lord.
Shannon, born Aug. 20, 1986, in Syracuse, New York, was the daughter of John and Theresa and immediately began touching the lives of the people who knew her. She moved to North Carolina in 1988 and to Wilmington in 2000, where she attended Hoggard High School before graduating from UNCW with a degree in teaching.
During this time, she also met and married the love of her life, Charlie McHone, and together they had a son, Landen, who is now 11 years old. They would have been married to each other 12 years on May 4, 2019, (be with you). She loved teaching, particularly students with disabilities, and was able to continue working and teaching until September 2018.
Born into a world with nine grandparents and great-grandparents, she remains survived by all four of her grandparents, Anne and Mike Barry and Evo and Sue Talucci, two couples who have been married over 50 years. Also surviving are her parents, John and Barb Barry, and her mother, Theresa Talucci. As the oldest sister, she is survived by Barb and John’s children, Shelby, Kieran and Brayden, and Theresa’s children, Gabriella and Luke. Her true love and Bugabear, Charlie, and their son, Landen, remain here with family as we all wait to be reunited with our beloved Shannon. She was preceded in death by her goddaughter, Payton Forrian; and recently by her family dog, Mace. In her last days, we found comfort knowing that Shannon would soon be united in heaven with her rescued canine son and cousin, Payton, and we imagine they’re now dancing and playing together again with joyous smiles on their faces.
While Shannon will long be remembered for her valiant fight with cancer, she will forever be defined by the life she enjoyed, both before and after her diagnosis. To the end, she reminded us all that the purpose of life was to just live, and live she did for her 32 years. She had a gift to always find the good inside the bad and left all those she touched better than they were before they met. She reminded us that to find life’s treasures all we had to do was look for them, and she took great joy in helping us see them every day she was with us. She was one of those treasures, and heaven is now a richer place with her in it.
The family would like to thank their family and friends for their incredible love and support throughout this journey. In particular, Shannon’s dearest friends, Jen, Kristina, Claire and Lindsey; New Hanover Baseball community; Shannon’s Sharks at Sunset Park Elementary; the Duke Neuro-Oncology team; and Casey Bayliss Brown, and her most recent teammates in Raleigh (Swift Creek and Lincoln Heights Elementary schools). As her caregivers, Charlie and Barb carried a heavy load and the family will forever love them for how well they cared for and loved Shannon during her final days.
Shannon’s legacy will continue with the formation of the Flunk Cancer Foundation, a charity established to help support teachers and their families as they continue to just live while battling disease. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to this foundation. Donations may be made via checks made payable to Flunk Cancer, 2498 Greenwell Court, Wilmington, NC 28409.
Shannon, our sweet angel, we all will see you soon.
A celebration of life will be held Tuesday, April 23, at Freedom Baptist Church, with service time to be determined.
