Keith R. Shannon
Keith R Shannon lost his 11-month battle with cancer on November 22, 2022. He was born on June 15, 1943, to Ken and Gladys Shannon in Portland. He grew up in Gresham as one of the grandsons of the Gresham harness maker, Sam Palmquist. He went into the Air Force in 1963, returned, and started working at Wallace Buick as a technician. He married Karen (Riscoe) Shannon on July 23, 1971. They had a daughter in 1972, Kimberly, and a son, Kevin in 1974.
He joined the Air National Guard in 1974 and accepted a full-time position as a federal employee working for the Air National Guard, a job he loved. He especially enjoyed the years that he was the military liaison for the Rose Festival Air Show. In 1975 they built a home, doing the work themselves, in Wood Village Or on the corner of Shannon Court. Keith loved to hunt, fish, and build things which lead to buying property near Sunriver, Or. After putting a manufactured home on the one acre, many memories were enjoyed. He retired in 2004 and decided to build a vacation home on the second acre himself. He spent 8 years building his legacy for his family. After Karen retired they traveled for years all over the world and made more memories. For their 50th wedding anniversary, they traveled 25,000 miles around the U.S. hiking, biking, and enjoying our country's history. Keith was still working on the home in Bend, with his innovative ideas, when he was diagnosed. Family and friends will enjoy his hard work for many years to come.
Keith was predeceased by his brother Larry. He is survived by his wife, Karen; daughter Kim, and son, Kevin (Sarah); and his grandchildren, Max, Claudia, Paisley, and Elizabeth; and brother Sam. Keith wanted a party to celebrate his life. We will honor his wishes at a later date.
