Shawn Raymond Crossley, a devoted husband, loving father, cherished son and brother, loyal friend, and respected colleague, passed away on July 14, 2026 at the age of 48 after a courageous battle with cancer.
Shawn was born in Sunrise, Florida, and grew up in Naperville, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago, where he majored in computer art—a fitting combination of the creativity and analytical thinking that shaped so much of his life.
Shawn met his wife, Kelly, during the summer of 1999, when they were interns together at Nicor Gas. They married on August 10, 2002, at Cordillera in Avon, Colorado, and went on to build a life centered around their family and their three daughters, Quinn, Olive, and Mabel.
Shawn loved to work, and his career was very important to him. He held technology roles at Nicor Gas, Accenture, PG&E, and Autodesk. He was hardworking, thoughtful, analytical, committed to quality, and deeply cared for his teams and coworkers.
Food and wine were some of Shawn’s greatest passions and his most natural way of expressing love. He loved not only to cook for others, but also to teach them about food, wine, ingredients, techniques, and traditions. Although his professional life was focused on technology, cooking was his artistic outlet. His pizzas, family recipes, and Christmas Eve pierogies will continue to be part of the traditions he created.
Shawn was a natural mediator who disliked conflict and encouraged others to “take the high road.” He often described himself as “the peacemaker of the family” and would remind people, “I’m a lover, not a fighter.” He also believed he was the funniest person in the room—an assessment Kelly did not always share. But whenever he succeeded in making her laugh out loud, he would beam with pride.
As a child and teenager, Shawn was an avid collector of baseball cards and other sports memorabilia, a hobby he shared with his father and his brother, Brent. Shawn loved baseball, especially the Chicago Cubs, along with nearly every other Chicago sports team. The Golden State Warriors earned the distinction of being the only Bay Area team he embraced. He enjoyed tennis, skiing, stand-up comedy, music, The Beatles, and reading the news—often obsessively. He loved to travel, particularly to Italy, Colorado, and Hawaii, and treasured family trips to Maui and Kauai.
His family will miss his laugh, his cooking, his coffee, his meal planning and grocery shopping, watching television beside him, planning vacations together, and cheering for their daughters as a family. They will miss the countless ordinary moments that, because Shawn was part of them, became extraordinary.
Shawn is survived by his wife, Kelly; his daughters, Quinn, Olive, and Mabel; his parents, James and Candace Crossley; his siblings, Katy Frolick and her husband, David; Kristen Mshar and her husband, Jim; and Brent Crossley and his wife, Erin; as well as many extended family members, friends and others whose lives were made richer by knowing him. Shawn was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents Kay and Raymond Puzerewski, Catherine and Forrest Crossley, and brother Colin.
Shawn’s love will continue through his family, the traditions he created, the meals and pizzas they will keep making, their love of baseball, and the values he worked to pass on to his children. He wanted those who loved him to celebrate his life, share their memories, and keep his memory alive.
A memorial service celebrating Shawn’s life will be held on Friday, August 14, at 10:30 a.m. at Fernwood Cemetery, reception following.
