In Memory - Shannon Hanley

Shannon Hanley and Courtship of Quietude

Shannon Hanley, 81, of Hillsboro, West Virginia, passed away on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. In keeping with his wishes, he was cremated with no services at this time. 

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Obituary provided by Lantz Funeral Home in Buckeye, West Virginia. 

Remembering Shannon Hanley

Submitted By Brenda Tippin

Shannon Hanley was born April 26, 1940 to Paul and Ida Garwood Hanley in Ohio, and was raised in the city on the west side of Cleveland.  Later he would meet and marry Susan Johns.  He was working as an English teacher and she as a photographer when they dared to make their dreams reality, leaving a hectic Manhattan life for a farm in West Virginia and never looked back.  In looking for a stallion to breed their daughter’s Morgan mare, they ended up buying one instead - the Jubilee King grandson Criterion, purchased from Frances Bryant. According to Shannon’s wish, the farm was named Quietude.

Shannon was deeply impressed with Criterion’s regal and confident bearing, and as Susan traced his pedigree, they realized more and more he was a truly exceptional individual with rare and ancient bloodlines. Rather than primarily raising sheep and cattle as originally intended, their main focus became preserving the Lambert Morgan family through Criterion, a goal in which they succeeded admirably, registering well over 300 Lambert Morgans through the years.  The human Lambert family grew as well, with buyers of each horse they sold becoming lifelong friends, from all over the world.  Annual “Lambert Reunions”, joyful gatherings of Lambert owners filled with rides, feasts, and visiting, became a favorite tradition.  Shannon was a wonderful chef and many Lambert friends recall his warm blueberry cakes or his tomato pies, which were some of the most beloved dishes he would surprise guests with.

Most of the Lambert friends recognized Shannon as a true horse whisperer. He had a special way with the horses, they all loved him and would readily follow him anywhere.  Shannon did all of the farrier work, moving the horses from one pasture to another, and much of the gentling of young stock and getting them ready to trailer.  The horses would immediately tune in to his calming presence. He knew the personalities and special traits of each horse, and with photographic memory recalled generations of horses in each pedigree and where the traits came from.  His instincts for which breedings would result in the best crosses were unerring and truly remarkable.  Shannon and Susan were a rare team; one could hardly separate the work of one from the other in their dedicated goal of saving the Lambert Morgan family, and his only regret was not meeting Susan earlier in his life.  Shannon will be deeply missed, but his spirit and his legacy will always be part of Quietude.