"I had the privilege to work alongside Shannon for years as part of the Capitol Weed & Seed Coalition. It brought together about eight neighborhoods in a long-term effort to ?weed? out bad elements and ?seed? positive change. For years we met weekly in the old museum building in University Park, which Shannon was instrumental in rejuvenating. And in terms of the impact Shannon had, that was just the tip of the iceberg. I live downtown, and on my way to Shannon?s celebration of life, I passed a few of the homes she had built in the Capitol Mall area. There were dozens of those that she had built and restored. As I passed them, I got a lump in my throat, which I'm sure I'll feel the rest of my life. In this world there are so many who are willing to advocate for the powerful, but so few who will advocate for the poor and underprivileged. Shannon did the second and always walked the walk. Our friend Shannon will forever be an inspiration to me. Deepest condolences to your entire family. Tim Eigo Phoenix"
In loving memory of
Shannon (nee: Orth) Patricia Dubasik
April 10, 1951 - November 8, 2021
Shannon (née: Orth) Dubasik died November 8, 2021, in Phoenix. She was born in Spokane, Washington to Mary Lou and Ray Orth. Surviving Shannon are siblings Jeff Orth, Mike Jones and Kim Kinsella. In the Sixties, the Orth's moved to Phoenix where Shannon attended Elementary school and Sunnyslope High. She received her Bachelors of Arts at ASU and Masters of Arts from Prescott College.
On August 10, 1974, Shannon wed the love of her life, Bob Dubasik, with whom she enjoyed 47 never-a-dull moment years and he was at her side when she passed. Their union produced two sons, Ben and Sam, both of Metro Phoenix. Whether as mother, wife, sister, friend or co-worker, Shannon was regarded by all who knew her as feisty and funny, determined and dedicated, loving, and generous with her time and many talents.
As a career woman, Shannon always wore many hats, be it as a buyer for Safeway or running her own business, Retail Resources. Shannon's legacy to the community will always be her 20 plus years as executive director of the Capitol Mall Association. In that role, she became a well-known, ahead-of-her time advocate for affordable downtown housing. During her long tenure, 42 homes both historic and new were restored and dozens of houses were built in the Woodland and Capitol Mall area. She was also known as a staunch spokeswoman for the businesses near the state's Capitol complex.
As manager of the Capitol Mall Neighborhood Coalition, Shannon earned the respect and cooperation of Phoenix city and village planners. She was personally responsible for restoring University Park to its family-friendly status. Shannon was so devoted to restoring the Capitol's historic district that she was working on CMA concerns up to the time of her death.
Shannon played as hard as she worked. As an athlete she excelled in basketball, cross-country skiing, golf, scuba diving, water skiing and tennis. She was an avid fan of ASU women's basketball and the Phoenix Mercury. She also learned to sail (as seen in the above photo on Virginia's York River).
One and all are invited to pay their respects to Shannon's family, 6 to 8 p.m., December 2 at Hansen Mortuary, 8314 N. 7th St., Phx. A celebration of Shannon's life will be at 10 am Dec. 3rd at Central United Methodist, 1875 N. Central Ave, Phx.
The family invites those who knew Shannon to make a donation in her memory to either Capitol Mall Association, P.O. Box 34466, Phx, AZ., 85067 or Lura Turner Homes for Developmentally Disabled Adults, P.O. Box 81285, Phx., AZ., 85069 in her name,
Shannon Patricia Dubasik
Tributes
"Bob, Ben, Sam and family, Please accept our heart-felt sympathy and condolences towards the loss of your wife, mother and obviously wonderful woman, Shannon. Sincerely, Steve & Debbie Lump Litchfield Park"