Mr. Shannon Edward Fox

March 18, 1969 - April 1, 2014

APPLETON -- Shannon Edward Fox, 45, of Appleton, passed away at his home on Tuesday, April 1. Shannon was born on March 18, 1969, at Berlin Memorial Hospital (currently Juliette Manor), just half a block from the Spring Street residence that he would call home throughout his childhood. Shortly afterward, his parents, James and Carol, would welcome the arrival of his twin sister, "Heaven's Special Child," Kellie Marie. Known throughout his youth for his decidedly adventurous personality, Shannon had an unusual knack for keeping everybody from his family members and friends' parents to his teachers and classmates on their toes. While raising the bar in that regard was rarely a surprising feat, Shannon will always be remembered for a particular night in 1982, when he and his younger brother, Jason, silently stole away from their family's hotel in Anaheim and scaled the fence to Disneyland to get a sneak preview before being returned by park security to their suddenly much-older parents. Possessing seemingly endless stamina and energy from the time he could walk, Shannon was a gifted three-sport athlete throughout his years at Berlin High School, where he graduated in the spring of 1987. In addition to bucking the usual football trend by being a starting nose tackle generously listed at 5'6" and 155 pounds, Shannon was a member of a BHS wrestling team that captured East Central Conference titles in both the 1983-84 and 1986-87 seasons, earning individual conference titles in each of his final two seasons while also taking home the regional championship as a junior. Shannon also wrestled on the University of Wisconsin-Stout's varsity squad as a freshman, a year during which he also became a member of the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity. After two years at Stout, Shannon took some time away from his schooling before transferring to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Although the transfer opened the door to a reunion with his younger brother, with whom he lived and shared several classes over the final few years of their collegiate career, making up for lost time on their childhood antics couldn't prevent either from graduating, with Shannon earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. During his college days, Shannon established many close friendships and a profound love of animals that he'd maintain throughout the rest of his days. Although he'd share his home with everything from sharks to chinchillas over the years, he will be remembered with particular fondness for his undying devotion to his two cats, Erwin and Ariel. Chance encounters not only resulted in the welcoming of his two cats, however, as Shannon would later meet the true love of his life through a random online chat exchange. Eventually mustering up enough courage to visit her in person for the first time at her workplace, Shannon introduced himself to Janell Esqueda with the simple but appropriate question, "Do you Yahoo?" And the rest, as the saying goes, was history. Following a lengthy courtship during which they enjoyed many memorable trips, Shannon and Janell were married on October 15, 2005, in a beautiful ceremony held at Holy Family Catholic Church in Woodruff. Friends and family celebrated the union at a reception in nearby Minocqua. Throughout their relationship Shannon and Janell explored life together through travel and food. Their journey began when Shannon proposed while snorkeling in Cozumel and their other adventures included trips to Shannon’s second home, Jamaica, San Diego, San Francisco, St. Thomas, San Juan, Haiti, New England and numerous trips to sunny Florida. Shannon found enjoyment in experimenting with all types of ethnic foods and shared his love of cooking and eating with his wife, Janell. A big part of their life revolved around their fur kids (cats) – Erwin, Ariel and most recently, Irie. They even accompanied them on their five-year wedding anniversary trip to Chicago. Janell will deeply miss her beloved husband, ShanMan. Shannon was preceded in death by his twin sister, Kellie; his sister, Michelle; his father, James; his grandparents, Edward and Helen Fox, and Ruben and Madonna Moos; and his beloved cat, Erwin. He is survived by his wife of eight years, Janell, of Appleton; his mother, Carol (the late Donald) Lind, of Oshkosh; his brother, Jason (Tammie) Fox, of Winneconne; his brothers David Lynk and Robert Lynk, both of Oshkosh; his sister, Pat Reser, of Berlin; and many other extended family members and friends who will miss him dearly. Wiecki-Skipchak Funeral Home of Berlin is handling the funeral arrangements, and cremation has taken place per Shannon's wishes. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 12. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., with a memorial service and luncheon to follow.