Shawn Kushniruk

Shawn Kushniruk, age 28 passed away October 13, 2015 in Clinton Township, MI. He was born April 29, 1987 in Mount Clemens, MI. He is survived by his parents Gary and Vicki Kushniruk and siblings Stacy (Jim) Bacevicus, Jason Kushniruk and Kariann Kushniruk. He was the uncle of Abigail, Kaitlyn and Andrew. Visitation will be Sunday 2-9:00 pm with a funeral service Monday 10:30 am at Resurrection Funeral Home 40800 Hayes Road, Clinton Township, MI 48038. Burial will be at the Hillside Cemetery, 547 N. County Drive, Saint Clair, MI.

This was just one example of who Shawn was and how he impacted those around him. Shawn was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Shawn wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Shawn was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Shawn was born on April 29, 1987 at Mt. Clemens General Hospital in Mt Clemens. He was the son of Gary and Vicki Kushniruk. Shawn was raised in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Shawn might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Shawn was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Shawn was raised with 3 siblings. he had one older sister Stacy, one older brother Jason and one little sister Kariann. Shawn was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Shawn was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Shawn well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, Shawn was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Shawn was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Shawn took part in soccer. He was a member of the marching band. In his spare time he liked Lego's and spending time in the water. Shawn had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, Shawn responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Henry Ford II High School in 2005. Shawn was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Shawn absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Shawn, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Shawn a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was a criminal justice class he took. The teachers he enjoyed learning from the most were Ms. Marshal and Mr. Hessely.

Shawn did well in college, as a result of his comfort level with tackling new theories and his love of learning. He earned his Bachelors in Sociology. His favorite courses were Social Work. Shawn was very adaptable, a quality that helped him make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Shawn's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that he enjoyed virtually every class he took. Shawn was always in quest of new things to learn and experience

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Shawn was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Shawn was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Kim, Aaron, Jeremy and Jamie. Later in life, he became best friends with Kim and Aaron.

Shawn was a natural at being an Uncle and was willing to provide his nieces and nephew with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Shawn, being an uncle was an enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Shawn's skill at understanding children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up.

Shawn was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupations were working as a care giver and in a restaurant. Shawn was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Shawn had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Shawn's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Shawn loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were coin collecting. Shawn had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Shawn's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Shawn derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Shawn played Soccer. Shawn was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were Tigers, Lions and Michigan Football.

Throughout his life, Shawn was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Shawn seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Shawn usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout his later years, Shawn was an active member of the AA Macomb and Alanon Center.

Shawn was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. Shawn loved kids and if you were looking for him you could find him in the middle of them and their activity making them laugh and scream. He was always making sure Kariann his handicap sister was in the middle of the fun and made sure she was having fun. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

Shawn's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Shawn took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included yearly trips with his friend Kim and her family on their boat and to the sand dunes. Labor Day this year was spent with his family.

Shawn was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Bear, a Lab Shepard mix, was a best friend for seven years.

Shawn Kushniruk passed away on October 13, 2015 in Clinton Township Michigan. A seizure took his life. He is survived by parents Gary and Vicki, sisters Stacy (Jim), Kariann, brother Jason, nieces Abby, Kate, nephew Andrew and many dear friends. Shawn was laid to rest in St. Clair, Michigan.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Shawn. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Shawn Kushniruk for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Shawn was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.