OUR STAFF
William Lee Shannon
"Bill" Shannon is the son of Nancy Stout and Robert Lee "R. L." Shannon, Jr. Having grown up around the funeral home, he joined Shannon's as the 4th generation in the family funeral business in 1941 after graduating from Washington & Lee University. He is married to the former Virginia Tichenor and their marriage has produced 8 children. Bill is a licensed funeral director and embalmer and though he is "officially" retired, his wisdom, experience, and presence are still seen and appreciated around the funeral home. He is a Deacon Emeritus of the Shelbyville First Baptist Church and a member of the Rotary Club. In years past, Bill has been active teaching at the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science, serving on the board of directors at the Old Mason's Home and the Shelbyville Board of Education, plus being active in the Chamber of Commerce, Boy Scouts, the Shelby County Parks System, and the American Red Cross teaching First Aid and Water Safety.
John Shannon
John has been with the funeral home for the past 24 years, and is a native of Shelby County. John is the son of Bill & Virginia Shannon, and has a wife, Lesley, and three children, Rachel, Summer and Molly. John is a member of Shelbyville First Baptist Church, where he has been teaching the "In His Steps" Sunday School class for the past 16 years. He also helps lead worship for the church's Praise Team, and also serves as a deacon. In his spare time he enjoys singing, listening to Christian music, and reading. John currently acts as President and Manager at Shannon's.
Charles Austin
"Charlie" has been in funeral service for over 40 years and has worked at Shannon's for the last 28 years. He is a native of Fulton, KY and an Army Viet Nam veteran. Charlie is married to Barbara and they have 3 children, Laura, Angela, and Joey, and 4 grandchildren. He is currently serving as pastor of Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Henry County. Charlie enjoys golf, UK sports, fishing and traveling. Though Charlie is officially on permanent disability, he is often seen at the funeral home sharing with the staff his years of insight.
Rev. Edward Coleman
"Buddy" has served as Minister of Aftercare at Shannon's since 1998. After serving as a pastor for 39 years, including 8 years as the senior pastor at Centenary United Methodist Church here in Shelbyville, he retired and returned to Shelbyville. He and his wife Joyce have 4 children, Elizabeth, Deborah, David, and Steve, and 8 grandchildren. In addition to his work at Shannon's, he is Congregational Care Minister at Middletown United Methodist Church. "Buddy" uses his spare time enjoying UK sports, and traveling.
Martha Sparrow Hall
Martha has been with Shannon Funeral Service for the past 6 years, and is a licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer. She currently also works for Southern State Cooperative. Martha is a life long Shelby County resident, and enjoys reading and basket making and working outside in her spare time. She is married to Preston Hall, and has one daughter Grace. Martha has attended Eminence Christian Church since childhood, where she serves in several capacities. Martha is also a notary public.
Jonathan Cook
Jonathan, the newest member of the staff, has been with Shannon's since September 2003. He has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer for over 20 years. A native of Nelson County, Jonathan moved to the area to be close to family. Most recently, he was employed by Stevens Mortuary in Knoxville as its general manager. He is a member of the Shelby Christian Church where he met his wife, the former Terri Wilson. He also has a step-daughter, Logan Lacefield. Jonathan enjoys being active in sports in his spare time.
Tony Husband
Tony has been with Shannon Funeral Service for almost 22 years, and is a licensed funeral director and embalmer. He is married to Holly and they have two children, William and Caroline. Tony is a life long resident of Shelby County, and is a member of Centenary United Methodist Church, where he has served on several committees. You may also see him riding his motorcycle around town, or on the golf course when he is not at work.
Lisa Knieriem Cooper
Lisa is the youngest member of the staff. She has been with Shannon's since February 2003 and has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer for 7 years. Her husband's name is David and they have one Jack Russell terrier, Zoey. Lisa is a member of the Simpsonville Christian Church and also enjoys traveling.
John W. Shouse
Johnny has worked at Shannon's 31 years, and has lived in Shelby County all of his life. He is married to the former Karen Rollins and they have one daughter, Laura Stovall and three grandchildren. Johnny is a member of Olive Branch Methodist Church, and Solomon's Lodge #5 F&AM. Johnny currently holds his life insurance license with the Great Western Insurance Company, and is also a notary public. He enjoys woodworking, and collecting sports memorabilia in his spare time.
Other Part-Time Staff
Ralph Wade
Ralph has been working at Shannon's since 1994, but his main claim to fame is that he is the former owner of Ralph's Market which was famous for their "Ralph Burgers." Ralph's wife is Lillian and they have 2 children, Michael and Jennifer, and 2 grandchildren. In recent years, Ralph has driven cars for local car dealers and drives the funeral home limousines, like all Shannon's employees do, for special occasions like weddings, proms, and special events. Ralph also enjoys the Florida sun.
Jake Smith
Jake is a life-long resident of Shelby County, in fact, having grown up in the house next door to the current location of Shannon Funeral Home. Jake, who has been at Shannon's since 2002, is an Army Korean War veteran and a retired employee of the State Department of Transportation who helped install most the railroad crossing warnings devices in the state of Kentucky. Jake now serves on the Triple S Planning and Zoning Board and has been an active member at the Simpsonville Christian Church for the past 60 years. Jake is married to the former Carol Lou Marlow and they have 3 children, Mark, Bryan, and Angie, and 4 grandchildren. Jake enjoys golf and construction work during his free time.
George Poulter
After retiring from the State Department of Transportation, in 2004 George came to lend a hand at Shannon's. Over the years George has done numerous things in the community including being a local electrician, farmer, and is currently working part-time as a Shelby County Deputy Sheriff. George is also a member of the Shelbyville First Baptist Church. His wife's name is Jerry and they have 5 children, Al, Shelia, Dale, Angela, and Faith, 11 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. George's hobbies include golf, Civil-War history, and wood-working.
Aaron Shannon
In 2005, Aaron became the sixth generation of Shannon's to officially work for Shannon Funeral Service. He is life-long resident of Shelby County and a 2004 graduate of Shelby County High School. Though currently, he has no plans to make funeral service his career, he is enrolled as a student at the Shelby Campus for Jefferson Community and Technical College with an undeclared major. Aaron's hobbies include playing soccer, watching movies, and travel.
Pres Hall
For the past 6 years Pres has been seen around Shannon's helping out with whatever is needed to be done. Though he stays busy with his own business (Sergeant Preston's Lawn Service), he is always willing to go the extra mile, whether setting tents, driving vehicles, or delivering vaults to the cemetery. Pres, a life-long resident of Shelby County, is married to Martha Sparrow Hall, another Shannon Funeral Home employee, and they have one daughter, Grace. His biggest enjoyment comes from working outdoors.
