Shane Michael Patsell Obituary (1971 - 2004)

Born Jan 26, 1971, Shane Michael Patsell attended William Byrd High School in Vinton, VA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Shane Michael Patsell.

Graduation Year	Class of 1989
Date of Birth	Jan 26, 1971
Date of Passing	Oct 25, 2004
About	He ended up in the Army as a marine engineer and in 2002, was sent on an eight-month tour in Kuwait as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, which later became Operation Iraqi Freedom. "Shane had planned to make a career out of the military. But on Oct. 17, on his way back to Fort Eustis in Newport News on his Buell motorcycle, Patsell was hit from behind by a car. The accident broke his neck, and left him "paralyzed from the earlobes down." Patsell died eight days later, on Oct. 25, at the age of 33. During that time, Patsell said dozens of Shane's friends from the Roanoke Valley and more than 100 of his Army colleagues came to his room to say goodbye. "He really made his mark in this world," In his short time in the Army, Patsell earned several honors, including a Good Conduct Medal, an Army Commendation Medal and a Meritorious Service Medal, which was awarded posthumously.