Obituary of Shannon D’Acquisto, 52
Shannon D’Acquisto.
In Loving Memory of Shannon D’Acquisto
– Shannon D’Acquisto, beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, advocate, and cancer warrior, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family who adored her. She was 52 years old.
Shannon was born and raised on California’s Central Coast, a place she would always call home. She grew up in Big Sur, where her love for nature was matched only by her love for the ocean. She was a fierce and competitive swimmer from a young age, a passion that followed her throughout her life. That connection to the water with its strong and wild demeanor suited her. Shannon was always the current beneath the surface. She was the force pulling others forward, even when they were too tired to swim on their own.
While attending Cal Poly, like both of her parents, she met the love of her life. Josh became her anchor, partner, and her very best friend. They built a life together rooted in love, laughter, service, and travelled to the ends of the earth together. This past year marked 30 years of marriage that included decades of loyalty, partnership, and loving devotion through all that life handed them.
They were blessed with three children — Sydney, Austin, and Jordan. As each of them grew and found the loves of their lives, Shannon opened her arms without hesitation. Her greatest joy was seeing her children truly happy. And when they embraced their partners — Colton, Rachel, and Nathan — so did she. She welcomed them into her family, as her own. She loved them, guided them, and celebrated them with the same fierce, protective devotion. In Shannon’s heart, she had six children, and she cherished each of them completely.
She is survived by her husband Josh D’Acquisto; their children; her mother Suzanne MacArthur; her father Larry Snow; and her brother Lance Snow. Her legacy will also live on in the countless lives she touched — as a mentor, a friend, a fierce advocate, and a beautiful shining light to so many.
Shannon’s life was shaped not just by her strength, but by how she used it. After working in medical sales early in her career, she found her true calling in service — walking beside others facing cancer, often while still fighting her own.
Her first battle with cancer began on her 32nd birthday in 2005, just two years after her twins were born. She was diagnosed with Stage IIIC post-partum breast cancer. At a time when young women weren’t “supposed” to get breast cancer, she had to fight to even be believed. She endured aggressive treatments — chemotherapy, radiation, multiple surgeries — all while raising three young children and trying to stay afloat professionally and emotionally. Her strength never faltered, even when the world around her did.
Laid off shortly after returning to work post-treatment, stripped of insurance and financial stability, Shannon faced the harsh reality of trying to rebuild while carrying the weight of a life-altering illness. Instead of retreating, she leaned in. She turned her pain into purpose.
Shannon began volunteering with her oncologist Dr. Tom Spillane and two fellow young cancer survivors, Hayley Townley and Tom Vendegna. Together, they created a support group for patients under 40. There simply wasn’t anything like it at the time. Their friendship, their shared mission, and Shannon’s unrelenting drive became the foundation for something bigger.
She became the local ambassador for the Livestrong Foundation and traveled around the country advocating on behalf of young adults with cancer. Shannon found a national community and a broader stage to share what she knew in her bones: that young people with cancer were underserved, overlooked, and needed champions.
Back on the central coast, she helped launch one of the first young adult cancer support groups in the region, volunteering with the Hearst Cancer Resource Center at French Hospital and later started a similar group in North County with the Cancer Support Community. Her advocacy became her career as she accepted the role of Executive Director at Cancer Support Community in 2015 and later became the Director at Hearst Cancer Resource Center in 2020. In her final years, even as her health became more complex, Shannon continued to find new ways to serve others. She became a consultant and passionate advocate for SabesWings.
In all, Shannon walked alongside thousands of cancer patients through some of the most painful moments of their lives. She showed up with support and believed in them. She listened without judgment, offered practical wisdom, shared the hard parts of her own story, and helped build systems of care that made people feel less alone. She got competing hospitals to collaborate. She got national organizations to care about what was happening in our rural communities. She built bridges. She was always in service of something greater than herself.
In 2019, Shannon faced a devastating setback: a seizure that led to a broken back and the discovery of a brain tumor with bone tumors throughout her body. It was a cruel blow and one that could have broken her. It didn’t. She survived brain surgery that left her temporarily paralyzed, relearned how to walk with the help of loving friends and determined therapists. This time, with metastatic cancer, she didn’t just walk again, she hiked, she did 30,000 steps a day at Disneyland, and once again stood tall as an advocate, mentor, and survivor.
Even while treatments became harder, and the future more uncertain — Shannon never stopped showing up. She never stopped caring for others and continued to volunteer, to speak, to mentor, to love, and to fight. Her sense of purpose never faltered. If anything, it deepened.
Shannon was known for living with cancer. But most importantly, she was known for how she lived in spite of it and because of it. Somewhere along the way, she adopted two simple beliefs that shaped everything: “Celebrate Everyday”, and when life feels heavy, it’s time to just go to Disneyland. And she meant it. Those weren’t slogans or inspirational quotes on a wall. They were how she actually lived.
Shannon believed in joy as a form of resilience. Her cherished trips to Disneyland weren’t just family vacations; they were sacred, joy-filled moments. Reminders to be fully present, to make memories now, to find magic even in the midst of struggle. She believed every single day should be celebrated – big, ordinary days could be treated like holidays. She believed in laughter and saying yes! Yes to the trip, yes to the moment, yes to love. Through all the trials and triumphs of her journey, she never stopped choosing joy. And she never stopped reminding the rest of us to do the same.
She kayaked, she snorkeled, she traveled to Hawaii, Tahiti, Mexico, and Belize. She attended dozens of live concerts annually and she prioritized moments with her family. Her life demonstrated the value of shared experiences with those close to her.
To know Shannon was to witness someone who truly lived. She laughed often and loudly. She told the truth, even when it was uncomfortable. She was equal parts compassion and grit, grace and fire. She made people feel seen. And when she believed in you — you believed in yourself, too.
The community is invited to a celebration of Shannon’s life at Rava Wines on Sunday, March 1, at 2 p.m.
If you would like to honor Shannon, please consider a donation to a local cancer support organization — or better yet, lend your time, your heart, and your hands to someone who needs them. That’s what Shannon would do.
She changed this world by simply showing up, over and over, with open arms and an unstoppable will to help others live.
This community lost a spirited advocate, and we will miss her every day.
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