Remembering Shannon Gullickson

Shannon M. (Berent) Gullickson, retired academic advisor for the Communication Program, died on July 21, 2014 at the age of 71 from pancreatic cancer.

Gullickson was born in Minneapolis, Minn. on May 8, 1943.  Her parents were Muriel (Shannon) Berent and Donald S. Berent.  She lived in Grand Forks all her life, after moving there shortly after birth.

She married Marlowe L. Gullickson in Grand Forks on April 10, 1965. Marlowe died on February 1, 1988 in Grand Forks.  The Gullicksons had one daughter, Kelly Lynn.

Gullickson was an honor graduate of Grand Forks Central High School in 1961.  She attended the University of North Dakota, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.

She joined the staff of the UND School of Communication in the fall of 1982 where she was the Director of the Northern Interscholastic Press Association until 1992.  She completed the rest of her 25 years with the School as the Admissions and Advising Director, retiring in May of 2008.

She is survived by her daughter, Kelly L. Madison, son-in-law Ron Boyd Madison and her grandson Tyler Jeremy Madison.  Tyler currently resides in Phoenix, AZ while Kelly and Ron live in Grand Forks.  Gullickson was proceeded in death by her parents, Grandmother (Marguerite) and Grandfather (Melville) Shannon, and her husband Marlowe.

As carried out by final request, her remains have been donated to the The University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences (UNDSMHS) Deeded Body Program.  While there will be no formal funeral, a gathering of friends and family is being planned to celebrate a life well lived.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the UND Center for Community Engagement (317 Cambridge St., Stop 8254 – Grand Forks, ND 58202) which will be used to support the North End News community journalism project.