Shannon McAllister Brownson, of 434 Stockbridge Rd., Great Barrington, Mass., died on Tuesday November 29 at home, surrounded by her family, after a courageous battle with cancer.
She was born in Pittsfield, Mass., on September 4, 1970 the daughter of Fred and Mary Jean McAllister. She attended schools in Sheffield and Great Barrington and graduated in 1989 from Monument Mountain Regional High School. She earned her Bachelors Degree from Keene State College in 2003.
Shannon was the owner proprietor of Bridlewood Home Furnishings in Great Barrington and the mother of three children.
Shannon was the light in every room, a devoted and loving mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend. Her spirit and sense of humor were infectious and she was deeply loved and admired by all that knew her. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for her children, family or friends and nothing they wouldn’t do for her. Her children were her world and she loved spending summers with them at the pool at Wyantenuck and attending their sporting events, which she did even while undergoing chemo and radiation.
Shannon was a force. She was fierce and she was a fighter, with the face of an angel and a smile and laugh that is unforgettable. She was extremely funny, her quick wit and sarcasm was unmatched and she could fill a room with laughter within minutes of entering. Her home was always open to her family and friends. She loved a full house, loud voices, music, food and, of course, laughter.
Shannon, took care of everyone, right up to the end. She always made sure that everyone was comfortable, fed, and welcomed. She was tenacious, creative and an incredibly resourceful person. If you needed something, she could find it, fix it or make it. If there was a problem, she would find a way to solve it, and if there was a fight, she would fight it, with everything she had. Shannon’s life was far too brief but she lived every day of it, touching the lives of others.
Shannon is survived by her parents, Fred and Mary Jean McAllister of Egremont, her husband Roger and three children, Connor, Dylan and Sadie Brownson of Great Barrington; two sisters, Christen McAllister and her partner Michael Pstragowski of Greenville, N.H., and Kerry Pickert and her husband Edward of Lee; two nieces Devyn McAllister of Sheffield and Hadley Mielke of Lee, and three nephews, Zachary and Jordan Mielke and Callan Pickert, all of Lee.
A funeral service for Shannon McAllister Brownson will be held on Monday, December 5 at 11:30 a.m. at the BIRCHES-ROY FUNERAL HOME, 33 South St., Great Barrington MA 01230, with the Rev. William P. Murphy officiating. Family will receive friends on Sunday, December 4th from 1 p.m., to 4 p.m. at the BIRCHES-ROY FUNERAL HOME. In lieu of flowers expressions of sympathy may be made to the Connor, Dylan and Sadie Brownson Scholarship Fund in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be made through birchesroyfuneralservices.com.
