Wally Shannon maintains a light-hearted approach to a serious life. He has made a big mark on Evansville in his relatively short time as a member of the community.

Like so many, Walter Shannon’s life is built on personal growth from his experiences. His is also a life that was turned upside down and reframed by a near-death experience.

Some consider Wally a “recent” arrival to Evansville (2005). But he has accomplished so much since coming to town that it feels like he has been here all along.

Wally grew up on Applewood Road along the Rock River near Indian Ford. He is the fourth of his parents’ five children. Applewood Road is a dead-end road out in the country. There were a dozen kids in the neighborhood at the time. They all grew up playing in the river, water skiing, swimming, and fishing — although his closest friends will tell you he isn’t much of a fisherman.

The river water was dirty even back then. Wally remembers inviting a girlfriend over to swim with him. She showed up in a cute, new swimming suit and bravely jumped in. When she surfaced, her suit had acquired the murky brown-green color of the river.

As a youth, he inherited a lawn mowing business from an older brother. He had a few clients, one of which was Susan Eager (my Aunt). Wally says she was a taskmaster. The lawn had to be mowed a certain way, with parallel rows running from the house down to the river. She would often come out with her yardstick to assess the quality of his work – she measured how close Wally had mowed to the trees and hedges. Her edict was that he must be within two inches – anything further merited a dock in pay. Susan was in the Navy as a young woman, and it showed. On the other hand, she occasionally offered him a sip of her rum and cokes.

Wally rode the bus to school in Milton until he earned his driver’s license. As a kid, he was a natural leader – though also a bit of a goofball. Not just one to sit with his clique, Wally recalls sitting almost everywhere on the bus, cracking jokes and inciting unorthodox behavior. He once convinced all the kids sitting next to the windows to stick their arms out and flap, making the bus appear as if it was flying. Needless to say, he was not popular with the bus driver.

Despite his regular high jinks, Wally gravitated toward leadership roles. He was active in various clubs throughout high school and was class president in his junior year.

Wally played football through his freshman year of high school. During the summer before his sophomore year, he had a life-changing experience. One of his sisters showed Wally her gymnastic skills by doing a somersault and landing gracefully in their backyard swimming pool. Wally tried to duplicate the maneuver but unfortunately landed on his head.

He didn’t think a doctor was necessary, but the next day he felt worse, with pins and needles in his arms and legs. His parents rushed him to the doctor. The diagnosis, he had broken his neck and was immediately taken to a hospital in Madison. They put him in traction, and he lay in a hospital bed for three months. He shared a room with a boy who had suffered a similar injury – but who had died. This near-death experience changed Wally’s life forever. He felt he had been given a second chance, or bonus time, as he called it. He would no longer “sweat the small stuff” and not take things too seriously, but also try to be successful and help others.

When he returned to school, he wore a brace from his waist to his neck. He had to give up football. So he dove into other pursuits, including Choir and Theater. One of his first roles was in Bye Bye Birdie when he played Harvey Johnson – the guy (with a neck brace) who couldn’t get a date for the prom. He won a national Choir award for singing and performing, continued to excel in academics, and made many new friends.

He was fortunate enough to be friends with all of the groups in high school. He realized that friends were most important to him, a feeling he carries to this day.

He began to consider a career in Law. He loved to read and help people solve problems. He was good in math as well, taking accelerated Calculus. He took a career aptitude survey, and Law was at the top of the list.

But his “goofy” nature remained alive and well. In his Junior year, he and his friend Glenn formed the Royal Order of Strange Acting Persons (ROOSAP). The organization’s creed read:

• Against banality, there is ROOSAP.

• Against dullness, there is ROOSAP.

• Against the very forces of society, which consciously, or even shall we say unconsciously, work to subjugate the human spirit, there is ROOSAP.

Their activities included marching in two parades. In one, their float was an igloo on a wagon with the sign ROOSAP for Antarctica – to raise money to save the animals from freezing. They changed the words to the song “We Are The World” to “The animals will freeze to death unless you pay us money.” The club drew young people that were less popular. Still, the group became popular, partially because Wally was the Class President that year. They also performed Monty Python antics to encourage humor to improve people’s moods. One of the life lessons he learned from this experience was that caring about people helped keep them more emotionally stable.

When it was time for college, he enrolled at UW Madison. He chose a Degree in Letters & Science and pre-Law as an undergraduate. He was a House Fellow, which meant he was responsible for 64 first- and second-year students, helping them with their studying, how to write checks or any other problems they may have had navigating life in Madison. A fun part of this job was to organize “mixers” with girls’ floors. His experience as a Housefellow helped him further develop his leadership skills.

After graduating, he considered Law School at Madison but chose Michigan State University instead, which offered him a scholarship.

After graduating from Law School in 1987, he joined a fraternal life insurance company, North American Benefit Association – also known as Women’s Benefit Insurance Society. He worked in the home office in Port Huron, Michigan. The Company, founded by Bina West Miller in 1892, was one of the first in the US to offer insurance products to women. He was an Assistant General Counsel, handling various legal duties and running the policyholder services department. He assisted with advanced underwriting (assisting insurance agents with applying products to individual trusts and will-based estate plans). He also helped draft insurance policies and annuities and did corporate legal work.

Working with this organization gave him a much better understanding of the challenges women face from a socioeconomic perspective. As a supervisor, he learned to present things in a manner that helps people work together to accomplish common goals.

While working in Port Huron, Wally’s home was a cottage on the shore of Lake Huron. The natural beauty of the Great Lakes was fascinating to him. In keeping with his philosophy developed after he broke his neck, Wally continued to seek humor and fun in his life and not take things too seriously. Despite long hours at the insurance company, he always took a week off from work in the summer to host a “week of irresponsibility.” The plan was simple; during the week, no one made plans, and the host served no food. All friends and family could stay as long as they wished, with the caveat that they brought their own food (and some for the host) and remained open-minded to shenanigans. They played volleyball, grilled out, had water balloon fights, and had float trips down the channel of the St. Clair River. Wally did very little cooking for his guests when they came to his party because he was irresponsible for the week. It was not a significant loss – his closest friends will tell you he isn’t much of a cook anyway. It was great fun for all.

In 2005, Wally met his future wife and decided to quit his job, sell his lobster boat, and relocate to Evansville.

So what does a 41-year-old attorney with experience in corporate Law do next? Wally didn’t want to work for a large law firm. Instead, he chose to become a country lawyer. Enamored with the idea, he wanted to experiment by starting his own law firm. “In Law, it is particularly rewarding to know the people you are working with, to step up and help people. I wanted to make a difference and, also, do the type of work I am interested in.” So he decided to start his own business and purchased the building owned by former Evansville Attorney Kimberly Vele.

Although most of his experience was drafting contracts and insurance work, Wally wanted to open a firm that could serve a small town’s needs. He knew he would have to establish as many contacts as possible to grow the business with clients. He also fell back on his strong desire to help people. Thus began the beginning of an impressive resume of public service while at the same time trying to start a new family.

He joined the Library Board in 2005 and continues to serve today. He was part of the team that steered the Library through its large expansion in 2018-2019. He joined the Police Commission the same year, where his legal experience was an asset. He also joined the Lion’s Club, where he remains a member. Wally also served on the Evansville Fund Board and the Evansville Manor.

When Wally heard the Masons were selling their meeting house, that triggered his next big move: purchasing the former residence of Dr. Evans, the City’s namesake.

Why would you take on the acquisition and restoration of such a large building needing so much renovation? He felt it was an important structure in the downtown and an essential piece of Evansville’s history. He feared someone might turn into apartments or some other use that would adversely affect the building’s character. So he took the plunge and sank endless hours and large sums of money to tackle the project. His contacts and ability to make friends in the community paid huge dividends, as many people had a hand in restoring the building. What he has done with the Evans’ home is a huge accomplishment.

And this was in progress while he was trying to grow his law practice, which now serves approximately 3,500 clients. Wally is single again, but he has two wonderful daughters he loves dearly and who he hopes will follow a legacy of community involvement sprinkled with thoughtfulness, humor, and respect for others.

“I’m honored to help people in the community. It’s a big responsibility to care for clients, neighbors and friends”.

Editors note: This interview was originally published on March 19, 2023 in Evansville Today