Cynthia (“Cindy”) Shannon Desseau, formerly of Darien, passed away peacefully Oct. 14 in Perrysburg, Ohio where she had relocated to be near her granddaughters Kerry (Burke) Duran and Kelly (Burke) Draper.
Cynthia Shannon Desseau
Cynthia was born in Woonsocket, R.I. She attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y. where she majored in commercial art. With the onset of World War II she left school to marry her classmate William Smith Shannon in 1942.
They lived on various air bases until his deployment overseas. At the war’s end they made their home in Darien, where they raised their three children until Bill’s death in 1962. Cynthia then moved her family to Burlington, Vt.
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— This obituary previously was published by the Burlington Free Press.
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In Burlington, Cynthia was employed in the classified and advertising department of the Free Press and later worked for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, from which she retired.
She married Robert Paul Desseau in 1978 in Burlington. Together they enjoyed traveling, hobbies, family and friends and, after retirement, their new home and gardens in Williston, Vt. They were planning to soon celebrate their 25th anniversary at the time of Bob’s death in 2003.
She is survived by two daughters; Carol Prytherch of Maine, Constance Martin of Texas and a son W. Clay Shannon (Debbie) of Florida, six grandchildren; Christopher Martin (Stephanie), Ryan Martin (Joette), Kerry Duran (Tom), Kelly Draper (Robert), Jessica Hardy (Wade), Douglas Shannon, eight great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
She is also survived by Bob’s children Kerra Desseau, Paul Desseau, John Desseau and Holly Kirk and their families (all of Vermont).
Interment will be at a later date in Williston, Vt. and Oneonta, N.Y.
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