I was fortunate enough to have met Shawn when he first moved here to Calgary in 1988, shortly after the Olympic winter games. I was completely wowed by this gorgeous redhead from Ottawa, and soon became a constant guest in his apartment he shared with his close friend also from Ottawa, Jeff LaFlamme. Playing for the Mt. Royal College Spurs here in Calgary, hockey parties became somewhat legendary at Shawn and Jeff's apartment at Bromley Square. It was obvious the guys were popular and well-liked, and had no problems fitting into the college lifestyle in short order. Shawn as a friend to me was always talking of his family back home, his little sister Maren, his mother Kathy and his father. It was a very grave day when Shawn informed me that his father had passed away, and he was flying home to attend the funeral. As it turned out, Shawn did a tribute to his dad at the funeral, and from what Kathy told me, impressed the heck out of everyone present with his touching, candid tribute to a man who organized many hockey events in Ottawa. When Shawn flew back to Calgary, he was a different person. He was extremely concerned about his mother and sister, and how they were coping. It was a difficult decision for him to decide to drop out of Mt. Royal; (where he was studying Business and economics), quit the Spurs and go back to Ottawa to be with his family for awhile. Shawn had really come to enjoy his independence; his apartment, cooking and being a "bachelor" in his own place with Jeff. He planned to return to Calgary, but felt it was the right thing to do under the circumstances. He and Jeff packed up their belongings in a van, and I remember standing behind their building holding his pillow, hiding my face (to avoid embarassing him in front of his friends by bawling!) as I faced the prospect of missing Shawn while he was gone. We said goodbye, and made plans to talk later before he left early the next morning. As Valentine's Day was approaching, I went out, bought a mushy card, and wrote everything I wanted to tell Shawn in it, and mailed it so it would beat him home in Ottawa. The next morning the guys left, and their trip was underway to drive across Canada back home. Tragically, en route home in the home stretch, near Sault Ste. Marie, Shawn and Jeff encountered some black ice, slid into the path of an oncoming transport vehicle, and were killed instantly. I, as was his family and friends, utterly devastated. I still feel the loss of Shawn today, nine years later, as his wonderful kind spirit and personality made an incredible impact on me personally. His former classmates and hockey friends back in Ottawa were also mourning the loss of a truly good man, and I was fortunate to meet Kathy and Maren a few months after Shawn's passing on February 15, 1989. Shawn was a person of great integrity, family values, kind of heart, generous, and truly a compassionate and bright individual. He was my first serious boyfriend, and it broke my heart that he was to be taken from me. He touched lives immensely in Ottawa, and changed the lives of several people in Calgary, including myself. Sometimes, in retrospect, it is hard to understand why God takes such good people out of our world and into His own, and I had a very hard time dealing with his passing. But I will never forget the hope he has given me as an adult now, that somewhere out there, other "good guys" exist. I consider myself very honoured and fortunate indeed to have ever known Shawn Ullrich, and knowing he is on my side in heaven is a great comfort indeed. Rest in peace, my beautiful friend.
Love Christy Turner
Close to his Heart...
Ottawa Senators Website
Ottawa-Shaun's Hometown
The Official NHL website-
Montreal Canadiens Website
Hockey Hall of Fame
Read Shawn's Tribute Guestbook | Sign Shawn's Tribute Guestbook
Email Comments and Suggestions to Christy:
< shesfeline@hotmail.com
Shawn Spencer Armstrong Ullrich...
