Shawnie L. Ford

It’s with great sadness that we note the passing of Shawnie Lynn Ford (née Evdasin). Funny, bright, and thoughtful, Shawnie devoted much of her life to her family. She was happily married to her loving husband, Stephen, for 31 years. Together, they enjoyed traveling in the Southwest and making each other laugh. Shawnie doted on her children Leah Zilberman (Alex) and Josh Barkan (Susan), and even more so on her grandchildren Max and Adam Zilberman and Sasha and Lucy Barkan. She will be warmly remembered at the kitchen counter, sipping coffee, puttering around the house, kibbitzing and laughing with Steve, her kids and grandkids, and her cherished sister Jeanette Niles.

Shawnie was born on May 2, 1949, the eldest daughter of Beverly and Arthur Evdasin. She grew up in the tight knit Jewish community of Salt Lake City, Utah before moving to Tucson, Arizona at the young age of 19. Shawnie left college at the University of Arizona to raise her family but later returned to the U of A and earned a degree in accounting. She spent twenty years of her career as the financial controller at the Tucson Association of Realtors. Shawnie then went on to work as the financial controller for behavioral health entities before retiring in 2016.

Never one who put herself at the center, Shawnie was a close friend to many. She loved to go on a walk with friends or curl up with a good book, but was fairly ruthless at scrabble and gin rummy, showing uncharacteristic glee with a well-placed j, x, or z. Shawnie could always be found laughing, often at herself, with a crinkled tissue in hand, wearing a lovely matching sweater set, even in a Tucson summer. She will be missed and remembered for her warmth, intelligence, sense of humor, and the deep love she held for her family.