There are many men who are responsible for my being here today. I salute you, I thank you!

Happy Father’s Day!

William Alfred Shannon, called Billy by all who knew him. I just called him Daddy.

Daddy was born 9 September 1933 to Ralph Shannon and Louise Brown Shannon.

He grew up in Maywood, Illinois and served in the Air Force from 1952-1959.   His life is mostly a mystery to me, my parents divorced when I was young. Momma has shared a few stories with me that let me know he was a character in so many ways! Like the time she went into labor with me, he was in the Air Force and stationed at White Sands Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Well, she was screaming to beat the band and he was yelling and threatening the doctor, demanding that he do something for his wife! He got so out of hand that they had to lock him in the brig!

Momma said they met at a skating rink, he couldn’t pay for them both to go in, he must have charmed her because here I am!

There were some good times with my Daddy, he use to call me knucklehead, some not so good. He was an alcoholic. He was a very intelligent man and very charismatic, I don’t know what his demons were but I know they affected every area of his life.

Alcohol played a large part in his death, I also suspect there was foul play involved. He “fell” out of a third floor window to his death. The police investigation stated that he was attempting to burglarize the apartment….from the outside. He was found shirtless and shoeless, his death was ruled an accident. He died 11 October 1973.

I will always regret not having the chance to know the man he was or could have been. I regret that he didn’t get to watch his daughters grow up or meet his grandchildren. I am grateful that he lived!