Naperville in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Shanower Family Field
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024
1. Shanower Family Field Marker
Don "Doc" Shanower, professor of theatre/speech communication emeritus (and longtime North Central College Cardinal fan), who taught at the College from 1955-86, his wife, Pat, and children, Vicki, Paula, Tom, Jon '85 and Dan and as a special tribute to Dan, a Naval Commander who lost his life in the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon.
Erected 2002 by North Central College.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: 9/11 Attacks • Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is September 11, 2001.
Location. 41° 46.085′ N, 88° 8.477′ W. Memorial is in Naperville, Illinois, in DuPage County. It is on Loomis Street north of Prairie Avenue, on the right. The marker is in front of the sign for Shanower Family Field, home of the North Central College softball team. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 435 South Loomis Street, Naperville IL 60540, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bill Shatzer (approx. Ό mile away); The Potawatomi and Fort Payne (approx. Ό mile away); WONC-FM 89.1 (approx. 0.3 miles away); North Central College Community Garden
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. Fort Payne (was approx. Ό mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Regarding Shanower Family Field. Don Shanower was an Ohio native who served with the U.S. Army during World War II and was injured in the Battle of the Bulge. He joined the faculty of North Central College in Naperville in 1955 and, after earning his doctorate four years later, became affectionately known by his students as "Doc." Shanower taught at North Central for 31 years before retiring in 1996. He died in 2015 at age 93.
His son, Dan, was a naval intelligence officer working in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, when hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the building. Shanower, 40 years old at the time, was one of 125 people inside the Pentagon to die in the attack. He is honored at the 9/11 memorial on Naperville's Riverwalk.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024
2. Shanower Family Field Marker
Also see . . .
1. Shanower Family Field. From the North Central College athletics website (Submitted on September 17, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. Naperville Sun: Don Shanower's 2015 obituary.
Excerpt: "The south end of campus also bears the family name. Shanower Family Field, at the northwest corner of Prairie Avenue and Loomis Street, is home turf for North Centrals varsity softball team. It was dedicated on April 20, 2002, in honor of the retired professors love for the sport as well as the familys recent loss."(Submitted on January 29, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
3. 9/11 Pentagon Memorial: Dan Shanower.
Excerpt: "He enjoyed writing both fiction and non-fiction, and many of his opinion essays and articles were published in the United States Naval Institute Proceedings, including the poignant May 1997 one entitled, 'Freedom Isnt Free.' His article reflected on the loss of his shipmates in 1987, and he wrote:(Submitted on September 17, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
"'Those of us in the military are expected to make the ultimate sacrifice when called. The military loses scores of personnel each year. Each one risked and lost his or her life in something they believed in, leaving behind family and shipmates to bear the burden and celebrate their devotion to our country They knew the risks they were taking and gave their lives for something bigger than themselves.'"
Credits. This page was last revised on January 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 17, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 295 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 17, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
