Shannon Leigh Huizenga, 42, of Morrison, IL, passed away on August 27, 2016, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Wisconsin after a brief, courageous battle against cancer.
Shannon was born August 25, 1974, in Morrison. She attended Morrison Grade schools, graduating with the Class of 1992 from Morrison High School.
Shannon was the daughter of Roger and Deb VanDerLeest and the mother of Katelyn Barsema, Abby Huizenga, and Brooke Huizenga. She touched many young hearts, while working with students and families at the Northside Elementary School in Morrison before her death.
Shannon was an avid fan of her beloved Green Bay Packers, will fondly be remembered as “Phoebe” in the Blackhawk Music Co., where she enjoyed playing darts for many years. She was also an intricate member of the pit crew for Team Barsema Racing for the past 20 years. Shannon, though, will be forever remembered for her infectious smile and her witty sense of humor.
She is survived by her three daughters, at home; her parents of Apple Canyon Lake, IL; brother Dan (Aris) VanDerLeest of Zeeland, MI; sister Kiley VanDerLeest of Morrison; grandmothers, Ruth VanDerLeest of Lyndon, IL, and Mary Johnson of Morrison; nephews, Jonah VanDerLeest and Waylon VanDerLeest, of Zeeland, MI; many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Special friends include the Cory Snow family of Morrison, and the Jimmie Barsema family of Fulton, IL. Shannon’s very amazing Team Shannon “Good Vibe Tribe” includes Amy and Joe Robbins; Tammy and Greg Pruis; Amy and Shawn Swaim; Andrea Allen; Jen Boonstra; Nicki Arians; Toni and Chad Milnes; Shelley and Ryan McCartney; Abbi and Brent Manning.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Philip and Ann Haendler; Renyold VanDerLeest; Robert Johnson, Sr.; aunt, Debbie VanDerLeest; friend, Tim Boonstra.
SERVICES: Per Shannon’s wishes, there will be no visitation or funeral services. She has donated her body to science for Cancer Research. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
A memorial has been established by the family.