Shaun Parker Pond

Shaun was born in San Antonio, Texas and spent his childhood in Denver, Colorado; Berkeley, California; and McLean, Virginia. He served in the United States Marine Corps and upon his discharge in 1975 attended San Francisco State University, where he received a bachelors degree in History. He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Candy; his daughter Katherine (“Kate”) and her husband Brian and their two daughters Colette and Isabel; and his son Adam and his wife Mary. In July 2024 he received a diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer. He was grateful for the sensitive and professional care he received at Kaiser health facilities in Vallejo and South San Francisco. Throughout his life he pursued and enjoyed a number of interests (including backpacking, motorcycles, unreliable old sports cars, reading, amateur photography, and just goofing around outdoors), but at the close of his life he realized that there were just two things that stood out above everything else. One of these things was the pleasure he had drawn from the companionship of animals throughout his life. Except when he was in the Marines or at college, there were always dogs and cats, and he was always flattered when they wanted to spend some of their time with him. A walk was always enriched when there was a dog to share it with. And weeding the backyard on a sunny afternoon went better when there was a cat to supervise and to guard against attacks from feral lizards and songbirds. The second -- and most important -- insight was that the most cherished moments of his life were not associated with his work accomplishments or material acquisitions or epic trips, but instead with those everyday ordinary days he’d been able to spend with his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his California Melee friends, and other dear friends. Shaun wanted to express his gratitude to you all for your friendship and support all these many years. It was the memories of these “little” experiences he had had with his loved ones that loomed the largest and provided the most comfort during his illness. The funeral will be private. A celebration of life will be held at a later date for family and friends. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to local organizations which provide rescue services to animals. A couple of examples local to us: Solano County Friends of Animals and Lindsay Wildlife Hospital in Walnut Creek, CA.

Shaun Parker Pond

February 26, 1952 - May 29, 2025