Norman Shanahan

Mr. N. Kim Shanahan, age 77, of Ocean Springs, MS., died Sunday, October 10, 2010 at the USA Medical Center in Alabama. Mr. Shanahan was born December 26, 1932 and was raised in Edwardsburg, Michigan. After high school graduation in 1950, he attended Michigan State University, graduating with a degree in Business in 1954. He began an Army career in October 1954 as a second lieutenant and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel during his twenty years of active duty. He served overseas in Germany, Korea and Viet Nam. While in Viet Nam, he commanded a Composite Service Battalion and earned the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star medals. The highlight of the Army career was being selected for graduate school at Michigan State University where he earned an MBA in Production Management. This was followed by a year at Fort Leavenworth's Command and General Staff College. After that graduation, he spent two years as Commander of the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Missouri. His final tour in the Army was on the staff of the main battle tank program in Warren, Michigan. Following his military career, he joined Ingalls Shipbuilding spending most of his twenty years there as a Director of Business Development. Since Retiring from Ingalls in January 1995, he has been a volunteer at Keesler Medical Center and at the Gulf Islands National Park in Ocean Springs. He also was active on the Salvation Army Advisory Board in Pascagoula. He was an active member of the Ocean Springs Rotary Club and a member of Masonic Lodge #424 in Ocean Springs. He enjoyed many years of golfing at the St. Andrews golf course and on the Municpal course in Charlevoix, Michigan where he and his family have owned a summer home since 1967. He was preceded in death by his father, Norman L. Shanahan; his mother Clio (Anderson) Shanahan; and his brother Richard L. Shanahan. He is survived by his wife of fifty-seven years, Sallie (Garrett) Shanahan; his son, Kim G. Shanahan of Santa Fe, New Mexico; his daughter Kelli J. Gaputis (Charles) of Killen, Alabama; his daughter, Kay Shanahan of Ocean Springs; and his daughter, Cheryl Shanahan of Seattle, Washington. He has four grand children, Sarah and Andrew Gaputis and Isabel and Lyle Shanahan. He has two sisters, Kay Smith (Ray) and Lynne Shanahan both of Edwardsburg, Michigan. Memorial Service will be Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. at Christus Victor Lutheran Church. Family will receive friends after the Service. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the Salvation Army, 575 Division Street, Biloxi, MS 39530.