Shawn Marie Riley, 47

Shawn Marie Riley

10/22/1974-3/22/2022

Shawn Marie Riley, 47, of Jacksonville Florida passed away Tuesday, 22 March, 2022 at home. Shawn was born in Auburn, New York to John Riley and Linda Lane. 

Doting mother, fiercely loyal sister, and beloved daughter. Shawn had a gentle soul, one filled with genuine compassion for others. Her outer beauty was surpassed only by the loveliness of her character – one of kindness, empathy, and love. She was an excellent listener. Often lending her ear or providing a shoulder to cry on – she was a mom to many and a caregiver by nature. Shawn loved the arts and was an avid bookworm. Well read and extremely sharp, she shared her love of learning with everyone. This explains why she excelled every night watching Jeopardy with her son. Anyone who knew her at all can attest that she was always looking for the next book to start. She read anything from Poe to Plath to Pushkin and everything in between. Her passion for art also manifested through her ballet and her paintings. Selfless beyond measure, Shawn had an instinctual drive to comfort and tend to others. Her determination occasionally bordered on stubbornness, but it was that conviction that made her who she was. Her resolve is an inspiration to us all. That is not to say she was all business, on the contrary her humor and laughter lit up any room lucky enough to have her. She never missed the opportunity to bust a move on the dance floor or crack an inappropriate joke – and we loved her all the more for it. She loved to travel and found adventure anywhere she went. Shawn was an excellent cook and often found joy in feeding those she loved, experimenting with new recipes every chance she got. Albeit too short for everyone’s liking, her life was vibrant, full, and well lived. Shawn made everyone around her feel loved. One for appreciating the little things in life, she would often look to the stars and loved tending to her flowers. Big or small, she made every moment meaningful. There was a duality within her throughout her life. She managed to be delicate in her demeanor and relentless in protecting what mattered most to her. Shawn artfully tread the fine line of balancing strength and grace, knowing when to be firm and when to be gentle – it was one of the many, many things that made her an excellent mother. She was a bit clumsy but luckily was quite durable both in body and spirit. Despite having two left feet she loved to dance and to skate. In no particular order these are some of her favorite things: turtles, used bookstores, candles, fancy socks, Wonder Woman, roller skates, any body of water, the moon and the stars, European Street Cafe, stand up comedy, mermaids, painting, The Dave Matthews Band, Jeopardy (particularly Alex Trebek), and poetry. She was the strongest person any of us will likely ever meet. To anyone rightfully mourning this loss, take solace in the fact that she is no longer suffering. She always felt called to the ocean and will find her final resting place there at a later date in accordance with her wishes.

With unmatched strength and love she raised her son. To know her was pure joy. She was the light of so many lives and will be sorely missed. 

She is preceded in death by her beloved chihuahua, Roscoe. She is survived by her mother, Linda, her brothers, John and TJ, and her son, Aza, as well as extended family members. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Shawn’s memory to one of the following charities:

The Ocean Conservancy (https://oceanconservancy.org), or your local PBS station (https://wjct.org/jaxpbs/), or to the Cancer Research Institute (https://www.cancerresearch.org). 

If you would still like to send flowers, which are welcome but not necessary, you may send them to 6295 County Road 352, Keystone Heights, FL, 32656. 

A celebration of life will be held on the beach at Little Talbot State Park, Monday 28 March 2022 at 5pm.