Collette Shannon

courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 83.

Born Collette Joan Lake in Manly, Iowa on October 23, 1929, she was

the daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Coogan) Lake.

Collette graduated from Manly High School and earned a Bachelor

of Arts degree from Iowa State Teachers College (now University of

Northern Iowa) at Cedar Falls. She majored in art and minored in

industrial art. Collette taught art in the Decorah, Iowa public

school then became assistant dormitory director at Iowa State Teachers

College.

On August 26, 1954, Collette married Jerry A Shannon, Jr., of

Meshoppen, PA, in Manly, Iowa. Collette and Jerry moved to Oneonta in

1956 when he accepted a teaching position at SUNY Oneonta. In addition

to her role as a homemaker, Collette substituted for May Kedney as an

art teacher in the Oneonta elementary schools and worked at Dairy

Queen with Joan and Al Sayers Lutz for several years.

Collette combined her life-long interest in art and music with her superb

sewing skills as an avid volunteer in the Oneonta area. Working with

Esther Elfenbein, Betty Fraley, Donna Briggs, Al Davino, Margarita and

Olga Malinova and others, she constructed costumes for the

Glimmerglass Opera, Orpheus Theatre, Catskill Theatre Company,

Cooperstown Theatre Festival and SUNY Oneonta theatre department for

many years. She helped with costumes for Joe Stillman’s video Ruby

Moon and embroidered sacraments for the First United Methodist

Church designed by Jean Parish. Along with her friend Richard Kubiak

and many others, she was involved in the formation of the Upper Catskill

Community Council of the Arts (UCCCA) and volunteered in the gallery.

An active member of Oneonta’s First United Methodist Church, she sang

soprano in the choir under the direction of Kathleen Sisson and

Raymond Paradise and was a member of the United Methodist Women’s

Elizabeth Circle. She was also involved with the Oneonta Federated

Garden Club, the Oneonta Women’s Club and SUNY Oneonta Faculty

Wives over the years and drove for Road to Recovery cancer survivors.

An excellent knitter, she made beautiful sweaters for her family and

friends and was a production knitter for sweater designer Barbara

Riggs. She knit shrugs that were distributed to area veterans and hats

and scarves that her friend Kevingerrard Cannon distributed to New York

City’s homeless. She was also a great baker, renowned for her

chocolate cake, pies, and fabulous Christmas cookie plates.

Collette loved cats, flowers, gardening and ice cream; visiting art

galleries, attending concerts, going to auctions and refinishing furniture;

and the special times she spent with The Sewing Ladies.

Collette’s sparkling blue eyes, sly smile and animated facial expressions

were the hallmarks of her witty sense of humor and stayed with her

throughout her long illness.

Collette is survived by husband Jerry of Oneonta; daughter Kathleen

Shannon of Seattle, WA; daughter Maureen Shannon Salzer and

Matthew Salzer of Tucson, AZ and grandchildren Timothy and Alison;

daughter Lizabeth Shannon of Oneonta; son John Shannon and

Heather Shannon of Jacksonville, NC and grandchildren Connor and

Elizabeth; sister Mary Ann (Lake) Nye of Annapolis, MD; sister Patt (Lake)

Bowman of Northfield, MN; nieces, nephews and their spouses and

children. The family has lost contact with Collette’s brother, Benjamin

Lake, Jr.

The Shannon family would like to thank Catherine McCoy’s Uncommon

Care team for their round-the-clock assistance for the past year. We are

grateful that Collette was able to remain at home.

Collette will be cremated and her ashes strewn in various locations,

including a small favorite prairie northwest of Cedar Falls, Iowa. A

memorial service to celebrate Collette’s life will be held at the First United

Methodist Church, Oneonta at a date to be announced.

As an alternative to flowers, the family suggests that memorial gifts be

made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Leatherstocking Region Office

140 Highway 33 West, Suite 2, Cooperstown, NY 13326 .

Condolences to the family may be made online by visiting our website at

www.grummonsfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements are by the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home, Oneonta.