Shannon Marie Heitritter, MD of Mercer Island, Washington died peacefully in April 2024 of complications related to pancreatic cancer, surrounded by her loving family.
Shannon was an amazing woman, mother, wife, daughter, sister, physician, friend, and colleague. She was beautiful inside and out, and unforgettable to all she met. She had a dazzling smile, an easy laugh, and she radiated ebullience, warmth, and happiness. She made everyone she spoke with feel special. Utterly selfless, she looked for - and brought out - the good in everybody. She was sunshine in human form.
Shannon was born in Minnesota. From an early age she proved to be an excellent student with a penchant for perfection in all she did. A keen (and lifelong) reader, she won an award for reading 22,642 pages in 3rd grade! She attended Haverford College where she received a Howard Hughes Biomedical Research Fellowship, the Magill-Rhodes Scholarship, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa as a junior. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology.
Shannon came from a family that was committed to service to others and she, too, shared this desire to give back. A summer spent volunteering with medical missionaries training midwives in the Philippines cemented her passion for medicine. She entered Harvard Medical School, winning the Golden Stethoscope Award for excellence in teaching, and graduating near the top of her class. She completed both her internal medicine residency and endocrinology fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, where she was widely recognized as a superstar clinician and gifted teacher. She was offered a prestigious position as Chief Resident after her fellowship but ultimately declined this to move to Seattle with her husband.
Shannon started her practice as an endocrinologist at The Polyclinic in Seattle, a physician-owned multispecialty group, where she dedicated herself to providing the highest quality of care to patients from all walks of life. Shannon exhaustively refined the process of care delivery in her clinic and surrounded herself with a wonderful team of staff. Endocrinology is a very cerebral discipline and unlocking its medical mysteries was a source of much pleasure to her. She also derived great satisfaction from her ability to improve the quality of life of most of her patients by treating their endocrine disorders. She cherished the personal and meaningful relationships she developed - often over many years - with her patients. With her warm and caring personality, outstanding communication skills, breadth of clinical expertise, and meticulous attention to detail, Shannon epitomized the ideal physician. A highly sought-after clinician, her patient satisfaction scores were consistently off the charts and new appointment wait times often stretched to six months. Shannon's enthusiasm for endocrinology, commitment to providing the highest quality of care for each patient, and wonderful relationships with patients and colleagues underpinned The Polyclinic's emergence as the largest private endocrinology group in the Seattle area during her tenure. Shannon was voted Top Doctor in Seattle Magazine or Seattle Met Magazine year after year. She loved being a doctor, and she was a great one.
Shannon met her husband, Eoin, during her medical residency in Boston and their romance blossomed quickly. They were fortunate to have the sort of rare relationship that was characterized by an incredible connection to one another from their very first days together, a synergistic melding of complementary attributes, and an ardent love that intensified over time. After overcoming the challenges of a long-distance relationship for a year, they were married in 2005 and moved to Seattle. They had two sons, Alexander and Connor. Shannon's family was the most important part of her life. She was tireless in ensuring the optimal wellbeing, happiness, development, and education of her children. She became an expert in achieving the delicate balance between work and family life, but when push came to shove, she always prioritized the latter. She participated enthusiastically in all school and extracurricular activities, very directly supporting and fostering community for her children. She believed strongly in the importance of family traditions and routines. She and her three boys made wonderful memories relaxing on Lopez Island, skiing in British Columbia, taking trips with Shannon's parents and sister to Hawaii, and visiting Eoin's family on the east coast and in Ireland.
As someone who always gave so much of herself to others, Shannon was buoyed by the outpouring of love to her throughout the hard days of her cancer treatment. Bravely facing the end, she had no regrets about how she had lived her life. Shannon felt very fortunate in many ways - in love, family, career, and friendships. In particular, she was immensely proud of her children. Yet, she was inconsolably sad that she was leaving this earth before seeing them flourish as adults.
Shannon is survived by her loving husband and children, her sister Shelly, her parents Ron and Lynn, and an adoring community of extended family, friends, colleagues, and patients. Her passing leaves a huge void that is impossible to fill. She touched the lives of thousands of people in a positive way and unequivocally left the world a better place.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Edmonds United Methodist Church on May 11, 2024 at 1pm PDT and livestreamed at https://www.edmondsumc.org/memorial-service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Arnold P. Gold Foundation (https://www.gold-foundation.org) in Shannon's honor. This foundation champions humanism - compassion, respect, and empathy - in healthcare, characteristics that Shannon perfectly exemplified as a beloved physician and radiant human being.
