Shannon Marie Nuth

In Lieu of Flowers, we know Shannon would prefer that donations be made in her name to one of the below charities that she was very passionate about.  Information and links to donate can be found at the bottom of this page.   Domestic Violence & Assault Center at PG County HospitalElizabeth Seton High SchoolRAINNShannon was born June 25th, 1991. She was so very wanted, having come after the death of her six-week old sister, Kathleen. As a baby, Shannon was constantly held when awake and could not have been more loved. Fearless. Outgoing. Stubborn. Passionate. These are just a few words to describe Shannon. First, fearless. As a child, while everyone in her class and their mothers were terrified of her first grade teacher, Shannon was fearless. She treated her as she did any other adult. We discovered that she had ADD once she started elementary school, and some days were challenging in these early years. It helped that Shannon was also very smart. Her strength, intelligence and fearlessness helped her be able to overcome most of her challenges. Now, outgoing. Once Shannon hit high school, she seemed to really blossom. Since she was so outgoing, friends came so easily to her. She could strike up a conversation with anyone at any time. Shannon loved school dances, as it gave her the opportunity to wear long, beautiful dresses accompanied by tiaras to match. She rode on the Seton Equestrian team with many of her friends. During high school, we moved to a farm in Upper Marlboro where Shannon had her very own horse named Blue. Shannon would be the first to admit he may not have been the nicest horse, but her loving heart cared for him so much. She showed him at many of the local horse shows, proud of the ribbons she won. Her outgoing nature drove her love for each of these activities. Next, stubborn. After high school, Shannon attended Marymount University in Virginia. She was stubborn in a positive way that lead to her desire for education, independence and personal growth. Two days after we dropped her off at her dorm, she informed us that she had found a job at a local Pub. That job soon gave her the income she needed to buy her first car, a brand new Honda Civic. She wanted to be completely independent. Instinctively, Shannon knew that Marymount would be a good match for her, and she was absolutely right. She was one of the very few sophomores accepted into the Resident Assistant program where she was responsible for keeping order on her dorm floor and consoling and counseling her residents. Being selected as a RA was an honor for Shannon in her search to be independent, as the position covered her room and board bills. Being a RA was a whole new experience for her in which her passion and love for helping others flourished. She learned the art of compromise and how to problem solve. One of her favorite lessons learned from her time as a RA, though, was how to spread her infective cheer onto others. Suddenly, Shannon’s Facebook would light up with pictures of her decorating for the next resident event or impromptu get-together to make the students on her floor feel comfortable and to help them make new friends. Always keeping busy, Shannon also worked part time as a Nanny. She loved her little charges. She fondly told stories of them when we would chat. She ended up staying on as a nanny to some of these children right to the present. In 2013, Shannon graduated from Marymount with a degree in Criminal Justice. Her dream was to become a mounted police officer. She first applied her degree at a law office for nearly two years, but came back to nannying as she prepared to apply to graduate school. Her stubbornness showed in her refusal to ever stop caring for her residents and the children she watched over and as she followed her dreams inspired by her college career.   Lastly and one of the most impressionable, passionate. Passionate about those she loved. From boyfriends to family to pets. She had several long term relationships, but had not found "the one" yet. She gave every relationship her all, her passion. It was easy to picture her with her own brood of kids in the future. She lived with the perfect roommate, her sister Jenny, for the last year or so in a house she had purchased just after graduating from college in continuation for her passion towards independence. She shared all of her love with her Dalmatian Ladybug who is, to say the least, very active, and a gentle cat she rescued named Hazel. Passionate about helping others. She was involved as a volunteer at Prince George’s hospital in the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center. Recently, she had completed many, many hours of training to help those in need. Her recent trip to Guatemala was inspired by her volunteerism, as it included intensive Spanish immersion lessons that would allow her to help more people in need – those who did not speak English. She was so excited to learn that she had just been accepted by The Chicago School of Psychology, her dream field of study in a city that stole her heart for the better. Her goal was to become a counselor after getting her Master’s Degree and possibly earn a Ph.D. at some point in the future. She called the day she received her acceptance. We were so proud of her. Passionate about traveling. San Diego, Chicago, New York, Paris, Rome, Ireland, Iceland. These were just a few of the places she visited. Shannon’s passion for life often took her on spur of the moment trips. Suddenly, her Facebook would be covered in pictures of her latest adventures. Over the past six months, Shannon traveled around her own city, walking and biking throughout DC during the evenings. Pictures once again flooded her Facebook wall of astonishing Monuments, breathtaking water views, and anything else she deemed interesting to shoot. She had a wonderful eye for photography, and every picture she posted was accompanied by a quote that let you understand the world a bit more through Shannon’s positive and inspiring view.   Finally, she was passionate about her family and friends. Despite her work and volunteer positions, Shannon still found time to connect with her family and friends. She was always the one to make sure everyone could make family events such as our favorite annual get together, the Maryland Renaissance festival. We looked forward to the Turkey legs every year, and some of our favorite family photos were taken there. She was just as loyal to and supportive of her friends. Her friend Kate posted a comment recently about Shannon convincing her to climb down a cliff together. We leave you with this story to feel Shannon’s presence and remind everyone of the passion and love she spread to all.   "This girl. I told her she was crazy for thinking I could make it down even a step of that cliff and to go explore without me. She believed in me more than I believe in myself. She refused to leave me, promising it would be worth it. She was right (as always). She never stopped holding my hand and encouraging me every step of the way. We made it just over halfway down when we stopped and took this picture. Most breathtaking view. We stood in silence for a moment, taking in the beauty. Then, we had a dance party. On the cliff. With no music. Pure bliss. There is no one word powerful enough to truly describe how amazing your daughter was and the positive impact she had on everyone around her."