Words from Trapper

Joanie,
My heart goes out to you and your family during this time of such great loss. I had wanted so much to be at the service, but since it was not possible I want to take a few moments on his day to share just some of the many great memories I have of Shawn.
As a newcomer to Minnesota, I was lucky to have worked alongside Shawn in my first post graduate job at FBS Mortgage. While we had fun debating the supremacy of our rival Chicago business schools, I found him to be intellectually stimulating and receptive to helping each other; but most importantly, he was the perfect friend to help a SoCal kid learn what it meant to live in Minnesota. It was obvious he loved life and he knew how to live it right. His passions were many and I found him willing to share many of them with me. I quickly became a very knowledgeable Twins fan, learned the intricacies of fishing like how to make flies and cast correctly, and how to partake in ice fishing and even have a blast doing it! Hunting was another foreign activity for which Shawn helped explain how great it was to spend quality time training his dog and preparing for those cold early morning days in the woods. I’ll never forget how much Shawn loved his cabin, and sharing a weekend there with our families was like watching Shawn in heaven. Showing off his many toys like the mowers in the shed and the trailer parked outside made me realize how much he was just a simple guy who loved the outdoors and being in control of his own world. He had everything he needed right there.
There were many other fun times like football in the rain, playing hoops with co-workers so we had a good excuse for the post game festivities at the local pub, the basement parties at his house where Guinness would snatch goodies until she almost popped, while roaming pink bunnies would liven up the place, or sunset cruises on Turtle Lake, watching March Madness, playing golf all over town, or a good happy hour. I especially cherish the many quarterly cooking clubs we did over the years with spouses. It was then that food, family, and friends were all in full gear at every gathering. Ann and I were sad to see you two move to Illinois as we knew our get togethers would become much less frequent.
Joanie I hope you take some comfort from knowing how Shawn left his mark on so many people and I’m sure the kids have developed a solid foundation from his passion for life that will serve them well over the years. He was a treasured friend that I will dearly miss so I will step outside, breathe in some cold Minnesota air, and raise a glass in his honor knowing that is what he would have wanted.
All my best to you, Parker and Carly,
John Trapnell (aka Trapper)