Shauna Jennings

In Loving Memory of Shauna

November 17, 1966 – October 5, 2026

A Nurse. A Mentor. An Advocate. A Friend. A Wife.

On October 5, 2026, I unexpectedly lost my beloved wife, Shauna, at the age of 59.

We shared 15 beautiful years together and were married for 14 of them. She was my wife, my companion, and the woman with whom I built a life filled with love, laughter, memories, and the countless little moments that make a marriage so precious.

Even now, finding the words to describe what she meant to me feels almost impossible.

But I want people to know about the woman I loved.

Shauna was a nurse.

She devoted 36 years of her life to caring for others, beginning her career as a young Certified Nursing Assistant before becoming a Registered Nurse.

But nursing was never simply a profession to Shauna. Caring for people was part of who she was.

Throughout her career, she worked alongside hundreds of healthcare professionals, trained and mentored many nurses, and became a fierce advocate for the patients and residents entrusted to her care.

She had a particularly special place in her heart for the elderly, the vulnerable, and those who could no longer speak for themselves.

Shauna believed that every person deserved to be treated with compassion, respect, and dignity, regardless of their circumstances.

One story she shared with me many years ago has remained particularly close to my heart.

When Shauna was a young CNA, she cared for an elderly Black gentleman in a wheelchair who had found himself in an embarrassing and deeply vulnerable situation. He needed someone to help clean him and restore his dignity.

Without hesitation, Shauna got down on her hands and knees and quietly did what needed to be done.

What stayed with Shauna all those years wasn't the unpleasantness of the task.

It was the man.

As she cared for him, this elderly gentleman looked down at the young woman helping him during one of the most vulnerable moments of his life.

He was grateful.

And while Shauna was still there on her hands and knees caring for him, he began to pray for her and bless her.

Shauna remembered that moment decades later.

When she told me the story, I reminded her that this was exactly why she had become the nurse she was.

It wasn't simply that she was willing to do a difficult job that others might avoid. It was that she could do it without ever taking away another person's dignity.

For Shauna, he wasn't an embarrassing situation that needed to be cleaned up.

He was a human being who needed care.

That young CNA eventually became a Registered Nurse, carrying that same compassion throughout her 36-year career.

Shauna and I often talked about her years in nursing. She shared stories of patients she never forgot, colleagues who became friends, difficult days, funny moments, and experiences that shaped her life.

I worked in healthcare too, although at a different hospital.

I remember telling Shauna once that I wished I could have worked alongside her because I was so incredibly proud of the nurse she was.

She laughed it off.

That was Shauna.

She never fully appreciated just how extraordinary her kindness could be or how profoundly she affected the lives of others.

There were times when life became very dark for her, and there were times when she struggled to recognize her own worth.

During those moments, I would gently remind her:

"In a world with so much darkness, you are one of those who brings the light."

I meant those words every single time I said them.

Since her passing, I have received an overwhelming number of messages from nurses, former coworkers, colleagues, and friends whose lives Shauna touched throughout her career.

People who loved her.

People who respected her.

People who learned from her.

People who remembered the compassion she showed to others.

Reading those messages has reminded me that the woman I knew and loved at home was the very same woman so many others knew through her work.

She cared.

She taught.

She advocated.

She protected people's dignity.

She mattered.

I only wish Shauna could have seen for herself just how much of that light she gave to the world around her.

Shauna's birthday is coming up on November 17th, when she would have turned 60.

I can think of no more meaningful time to celebrate her life than the weekend just before her birthday.

In her honor, I hope to bring together her family, friends, fellow nurses, colleagues, and everyone whose life she touched for a Celebration of Life here in Santa Fe during the weekend preceding her birthday.

Further details will be shared once arrangements are finalized.

I want that gathering to be filled with memories of Shauna.

I want people to share their Shauna stories.

Stories about the nurse they worked beside.

The woman who made them laugh.

The woman who taught them something.

And perhaps even the woman who occasionally drove them a little crazy, because I'm quite certain there will be a few of those stories too.

I want there to be laughter among the tears.

And just a few days before her 60th birthday, I want us to celebrate Shauna together—not simply to mourn that she is gone, but to remember that she was here, that she mattered, and that for 36 years she gave an extraordinary part of herself to caring for other people.

I think that is the kind of birthday gathering Shauna deserves.

Because 36 years of caring for people deserves more than a goodbye.

It deserves to be remembered.

In accordance with her wishes, Shauna will be cremated, with arrangements entrusted to Rivera Funeral Services in Santa Fe.

After 36 years of caring for others, I want her life to be remembered for the compassion she gave, the dignity she protected, the people she taught, and the love she shared.

A nurse. A mentor. An advocate. A friend. My wife.

The woman who gave me 15 years of her beautiful love, and who brought light into the lives of far more people than she ever realized.

Forever loved. Forever remembered.

Thank you for honoring my Shauna. ❤️

With all my love, Robbi