Shawn C. McCullough

A visitation will be held Friday, October 30, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Runge Mortuary and Crematory. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.rungemortuary.com.

In lieu of flowers, the McCullough Family would like to encourage friends and family to donate in Shawn’s name to the Iowa ACLU, the Beagle Freedom Project, or the One-Eighty Zone.

Shawn Christopher McCullough was born on May 18, 1982, at the Alaska Humana Hospital in Anchorage, Alaska, the son of David Ray McCullough and Rebecca Stuart Davis. He attended Smoky Hill High School in Colorado but went on to obtain his GED. He went to Metropolitan State University of Denver in Colorado, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and was a part of the Golden Key Honor Society and Political Science Honor Society. He was then recommended to the University of Iowa College of Law by a professor and won over by the charm of Iowa during his visit.

During his time at the U of I College of Law, Shawn worked as a research assistant for multiple professors as well as the dean and was involved in the Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems Journal, U of I Clinical Law, and the Citizen Lawyer Project. He ultimately graduated summa cum laude in May of 2013.

Shawn practiced as an attorney with his dear friend Jef Powell at The Law Office of Jeffrey L. Powell until December, 2017, when the two formed Powell & McCullough, PLC. In 2022, Shawn transitioned to the Muscatine County Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor and remained there until August of 2025, when he took a job with the Davenport Public Defender’s Office and got back to the work he really loved - representing those in need - until his passing. He truly felt he had found a home at the Davenport office and was eternally grateful for the coworkers/friends he had there.

Shawn was an avid fisherman who held cherished fishing memories not only with his father and brother but also his two sons. He would get up at ridiculous times to make sure he snatched the best fishing spot on the lake and due to these important priorities parked his kayak in his garage spot rather than his Toyota Highlander.

To know Shawn was to know him as the best kind of father. Nothing mattered to him as much as his sons Henri and William – except maybe an ice cold can of Red Bull first thing in the morning. Despite his intense love for the energy drink, he could not be persuaded to buy stock in the company.

Shawn was always an undercover rebel, having grown up a punk rock skateboarder. As a teenager he put every color in his hair and was even planning on adding some vibrant red back in before his passing. His passion for fighting the power and the patriarchy, as well as advice from his favorite musical artist at a concert that he should go to college, ultimately led him to the practice of law and defense work, where he truly shined.

Shawn loved to travel, and nothing made him happier than adventuring and exploring with his two boys and family. His interactions and love for Henri and William were so astonishing that they were frequently remarked upon by outsiders as extraordinary, though family and friends knew that was just who Shawn was.

Shawn had a unique way of making everyone feel heard and seen and would be the first person to deliver a heartwarming, welcoming smile. Despite his caring, kind nature and immovable shoulder to lean on, he was an absolute introverted homebody and would hang out at home with his dogs and boys for days if you let him. As such, if you talked to him, chances are you would hear a plethora of stories about all of the characters in his home life.

His greatest pride will forever be his children and the amazing human beings they are and will continue to become.

He met Kiley Begey at the Tipton County Courthouse, and the couple was married at Vander Veer Botanical Park on November 12, 2022.

Shawn is survived by his wife, Ki McCullough; his children, Henri and William McCullough (Katie) of Coralville & Bettendorf, Iowa; his mother, Becky Davis, of Centennial, Colorado; his brother and sister-in-law, Jim (Amanda) McCullough; sister, Alisha McCullough of Queensland and niece and nephew Grayson and Mackenzie McCullough of Pueblo, Colorado; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Mark (Kathy) Begey Sr., of Muscatine, Iowa; his brother-in-law, Mark Begey Jr., of Muscatine, IA; as well as aunts, uncles, cousins, colleagues, and friends. He was preceded in death by his father and grandparents.

In Shawn’s memory, please be kind, empathetic, laugh often, and forgive easily. Life is unexpected.