Janet Mary (Hellhake) Shaughnessy

Janet Mary (Hellhake) Shaughnessy of St. Charles, Missouri passed away after a 15
month battle with cancer. Janet was born in Quincy, Illinois on September 3, 1961 to
the late Merle and Joan (Talken) Hellhake. Janet married Thomas J. Shaughnessy on
January 16, 1999 in Incarnate Word Catholic Church. She was a proud graduate of
Quincy Notre Dame High School class of 1979. She later attended John Wood
Community College, Southeastern Community College, and Webster University to
obtain her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

She began nursing in Quincy, IL in the local Obstetrician practice of Dr. Michael Shih.
She then moved to Blessing Hospital and many times was the only night shift nurse in
the Intensive Care Unit. Shortly after, Janet moved to the St. Louis area to begin work
at St. John’s Mercy, first in the Intensive Care Unit. She then worked for years in the
Cardiac Catheterization Lab, followed by several years in the Pediatric Intensive Care
Unit. Janet finished her 15 year career at St. John’s Mercy with several years in the
Gastro-Intestinal Lab. After the birth of her first child, she began her 22 year career in
the Intensive Care Unit at St. Luke’s Hospital.

In her free time, Janet enjoyed a variety of craft hobbies beginning with needlepoint.
She later found a love for scrapbooking, making decorative wreaths, and custom
greeting cards. Janet also had an eye for home decor, with Southern Living and
Longaberger Baskets among her favorites.

Janet was a member of Ascension Catholic Church. She was an active volunteer
throughout the years her children were in school. She was a Room Mom and a Den
Leader, using her crafting and organizational talents to help decorate for many of her
childrens’ grade school and high school events.

In addition to her husband, Tom, she is survived by her children, Grace and Jack
Shaughnessy; step-daughter, Alyssa Shaughnessy; her siblings, Ann Von De Bur and
her husband Joe of Springfield, Illinois, Tom Hellhake and his wife Marlene of Quincy, Illinois, and Tim Hellhake and his wife Maureen of Kansas City, Missouri; her nieces
and nephews, Kate Von De Bur, Jill Kraus, Kimberly Kraus, Greg Hellhake, Emily
Schornheuser, Heath Hellhake and Noah Hellhake; and her Sheepadoodle, Finnegan.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Katherine Kraus. It would be
important to Janet to include her beloved Beagle, Corky and her Mini Goldendoodle,
Lucky.

If possible, the family has requested that attendants wear a splash of pink, Janet’s
favorite color, to honor her. The Funeral will be held on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. at
Ascension Catholic Church in Chesterfield. A Visitation will be held at Schrader
Funeral Home – Ballwin on Monday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The family requests
that memorial contributions be made in memory of Janet to the Tribute to Nursing Fund
at St. Luke’s Hospital.