Shane Cornelius Carew

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Shane Cornelius Carew. He died peacefully in his sleep on October 3, 2026, after an evening of his favorite pastime: watching rugby with good company.

Shane is survived by his partner in life, love, and parenthood, Teresa Carew; his children, Gavin (Morgan Sullivan), Rebecca (Adam Zandman-Zeman), and Michaela (Colton Kuepfer); his siblings, Jane and Gregory; and his three grandchildren, Bode and Willa Zandman-Zeman, and Otto Kuepfer, who knew and loved him as “Pops.”

Born in Dubuque, Iowa, to Joseph and Philomena Carew (née Murray), Shane was a diligent student. Irish to his core, Shane studied business administration and management at Notre Dame, then law at Tulane. He went on to earn a master's degree in maritime law from University College London.

Shane found a career that combined his love of history with his instinct for solving complex problems in maritime law. His career as a trial lawyer brought him to Seattle and eventually took him around the world, from Alaska to Fiji. Over more than 40 years of practice, he met many of his closest and most enduring friends. He was named a Super Lawyer every year from 2021 through 2026. Later in his career, he worked on legal malpractice cases for disadvantaged people who had been let down by the legal system. Integrity and justice mattered deeply to Shane, and he was always in the corner of the underdog. He frequently undertook pro bono cases, including helping undocumented children facing deportation.

Shane and Teresa Carew were married in 1987. They built a beautiful life together, grounded in deep love for each other and their kids, a love of travel and culture, and a fervent belief that life should be fully savored.

Shane loved the Pacific Northwest, with its mountains, sea, and rich history. Winters were spent skiing in Whistler and the North Cascades. Summers were spent running along the waterfront, picnicking in the park, and enjoying late nights of roaring laughter and storytelling.

Above all, Shane was a proud and devoted father. He could always be counted on to help with homework, practice sports, show up for games and races, and warm freezing hands on the sidelines during cold, rainy Seattle falls.

Becoming “Pops” brought him a new kind of joy. He loved taking his grandchildren to the park, riding bikes with them, and reading them books. And he was enormously proud of them: Shane would happily show photos of Bode, Willa, and Otto to just about anyone willing to oblige—often well past the point when he was politely asked to stop.

Shane was a consummate sportsman. As a child, he was a focused golfer, winning the Iowa State Junior Golf Championship. He went on to win boxing’s Bengal Bouts at Notre Dame, but it was at Tulane where he discovered his love for rugby. He would go on to play semi-professionally for the London Wasps while attending University College London.

The rugby pitch and the strong bonds of the rugby community are what brought Shane to life. He was most excited by opportunities to play hard, get together with friends, and share his love of rugby with anyone who would listen. Rugby was always about more than sport. Shane saw it as a way to create belonging, particularly for people who found themselves far from family or without a community of their own.

Shane came to the Seattle Rugby Club in the 1980s and, in every way that matters, never left. He lived in the club's famous "rugby house," a home shared by a rotating crew of teammates, and it was there that he met Teresa in 1985. When their eldest, Rebecca, was born, Shane kept right on playing, often bringing his new daughter back to the rugby house so his friends could fuss over her. In time, he traded competitive matches for Sunday touch rugby and coaching youth teams. He played for the Northwest Old Boys well into his sixties. When his playing days were done, he stayed on as a mentor, historian, and member of the club's board of directors.

Shane will be remembered for his fun spirit, thoughtful conversations, and love of family and community. At just 11 years old, he traveled alone to Ireland to visit his mother's family, beginning a lifelong devotion to tracing the history of the Murray clan and, more importantly, keeping the family connected. He cherished his Murray relatives in Canada and took seriously his role as a family organizer and historian. Over the decades, he planned St. Patrick's Day gatherings and family reunions, documented the family's history, and found countless reasons to bring everyone together.

He was courageous in his seven-year battle with cancer and prioritized filling his final years with as many good memories as possible: trips to Ireland, the UK, France, Park City, and Canada; celebrating birthdays in style; welcoming new members of the family; and supporting those who needed it most.

Shane leaves behind a family and community immeasurably richer for having known him. We will miss his laughter, his stories, his curiosity, his insight, and the unmistakable energy he brought into a room. Most of all, we will miss him.

The Carew family is deeply grateful to Shane's care team at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, who helped him fit treatment into a life he was determined to keep living fully.

Shane's funeral and memorial will be held in November with details to follow. We welcome all who knew and loved Shane to attend and share stories, a laugh, and their best rendition of "The Parting Glass."

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of Shane's favorite organizations: Washington Youth Rugby, the Sisters of the Visitation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or Rotary International's PolioPlus Fund.

Never above you, never below you, always by your side.