Shawn Petry moved into the Tabor House in October of 2003,he was the first man to move in here, he was the first man to leave freely and on good terms and he has become the first one we remember with a sadness, with a love and a sense of loss. That in itself is a testament to the life he tried to live while he was with us. The mood in the house has been a somber one indeed. There has already been tears and anger, confusion and frustration, there has been regret for things unsaid (and perhaps also for things said), there has been reminiscence and laughter, numbness and pain, there aren't enough adjectives to describe how his death has affected us. It is a testament to the love of a house of brothers. Shawn's time in recovery was not wasted time. Over the course of that time I was personally privileged enough to have seen him grow in many different ways. I have many stories to share about his life and many memories that have touched my heart in ways that I would not be able to share with most of you, even if I wanted to, for they were the hidden effects of a journey that only those taking the journey are able to experience. It makes me realize that I would take the journey with him again if I had to.

It is amazing to me that he was able to touch as many people as he did and sad that he wont be around to carry on that fine work, I can only pray that the memory of Shawn will provide people with the inspiration we all need to grow more deeply and in  ways that were  previously impossible to imagine. His untimely death is a reminder of the devastating affects of a killer illness. When an addict takes dope it is only a matter of time before dope takes the addict, we must be vigilant, we must be responsible, we must persevere in our best efforts to constantly improve the quality of our life.

Today is Thanksgiving day 2004, Shawn passed away yesterday, I will certainly miss him but am grateful for his presence in my life while he was here. May God have mercy on his soul and provide his family, friends and those that knew him with peace and consolation, Amen.

Shawn's funeral was held privately in his hometown on Monday 29th November there was an informal gathering to celebrate his life (and learn from his death) at the house of his former employer on Sunday, December 5th it proved to be a spiritual experience for all those in attendance.