Obituary of Lillian Dianne Robertson Shannon

With family at her side, Lillian Dianne Shannon (née, Robertson) 87, of Fort Worth, TX, passed away on January 15, 2021 from complications of pancreatic cancer.Born July 31, 1933, Dianne was born and grew up in Dorchester, MA on Mt. Ida Rd. In 1951, at the height of the Korean War and following her graduation from the Jeremiah E. Burke High School, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy serving as a WAVES communications radio operator. Married in 1953, Dianne began a lifelong career as a beloved mother and homemaker. Throughout her life she was an avid volunteer in her children’s schools, PTO’s, Scouting, Little League, Catholic Charities and various other church organizations.Later in life, Dianne had a remarkable volunteer career with The American Red Cross that would span nearly two decades. Beginning in the days after the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, she remained a dedicated volunteer member with the organization until 2014. Dianne overcame her lifelong fear of flying in order to serve across the country during many national disasters, including the Southeast U.S. Floods of 1998, hurricanes: Ivan, Charley, Irene, Floyd, Georges, Rita and Isabel, as well as the 2005 wildfires in Arizona and California. As well, Dianne served at numerous state and local disasters, including the 2001 bus tragedy in Newton, MA. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Dianne served the people of New York City for three consecutive Red Cross tours. She was recognized, both at the state and national level, for her dedication to volunteer service with The American Red Cross.Dianne was preceded in death by her husband, Harold D. Shannon, by her parents, James S. Robertson, Sr. and S. Ruth Robertson. She is survived by her six children: James Strang and wife, Brooke, of Fort Worth, TX; Harold Dennis, Jr. and wife, Debbie, of Waco, TX; Ellen Marie Dodd and husband, Leon, of Maryville, TN; Geoffrey Wayne and wife, Jacqueline, of Saginaw, TX; Ruth Elizabeth Talvacchia and husband, John, of Newton, MA; Mary Catherine Nickerson of Fort Worth, TX; along with 17 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren (soon to be 14); her loving cousin, Lorraine Swensley of Brunswick, ME; her beloved brother, James S. Robertson Jr. and wife, Linda, of Wake Forest, NC; and by her six wonderful nieces and nephews and their families.She was a powerful force, embodying the dignity of the human spirit, commitment to family and community, and to sharing a never-ending sense of adventure. She will be dearly missed.