VIA chief, activist Shannon dies at 54
East Side leader made his mark serving youth and fighting drugs.
02/05/03
Charles Shannon, an East Side activist and leader considered to be a pillar for the city as a whole, died
early Tuesday. "Our community just took three steps back. Oh, that's sad," said Odie Davis, who as a
youth played on several baseball teams coached by Shannon and had remained a friend.
Shannon was known for heroic efforts such as working to rid his community of illegal drugs, which put
his life in danger, those close to him said. He worked for the YMCA for almost 21 years and had served
as chairman of VIA Metropolitan Transit since January 2001.
His death, of an unknown cause, was a shock to many people. The 54-year-old did not have any known
His death, of an unknown cause, was a shock to many people. The 54-year-old did not have any known
health problems, family members said. Shannon was suffering from what was believed to be the flu
Monday and planned to see a doctor Tuesday, said Betty Ziegler, a cousin.
His wife, Zelma, discovered he had died. "When she went to wake him up this (Tuesday) morning to
go to the doctor, she couldn't wake him up," Ziegler said. "It was a very huge surprise. Unexpected.
That's an early age."
Shannon, a native of San Antonio, fought hard to improve his community. He did what he could to stop
narcotic activities. And in the early 1990s, he and other activists brought together rival gangs to work
out differences. At one point, some gang members tried to get him to move from the East Side, but they
were unsuccessful. He was shot at but not hurt, though his car was damaged.
"He absolutely put his life on the line and said, 'No,'" said Larry Crutsinger, president of YMCA of San
Antonio and the Hill Country. "He was one of those individuals who was never afraid to put feet to his
faith." Shannon began attending the YMCA when he was 6 and later, as a teenager, was a counselor and
youth leader. In 1982, he was hired as the director of what's now called the Davis-Scott Branch. Two
years ago, he was promoted to oversee three branches.
He was in the Navy from 1970 to 1973 and served on the USS Constellation in Vietnam. He then
worked for 10 years with the Texas Department of Human Resources before joining the YMCA. He
continued college on the side, earning a bachelor's degree in sociology. Shannon was a member of
numerous organizations and boards. He had served as a chairman for such groups as the Southwest
Community Empowerment Center and the Palmer Drug Abuse Program.
In 1995, he was among a wave of people appointed to help reform a VIA board plagued at the time by
controversy. Six years later, the board elected him as chairman.
Shannon was going to step down as VIA chairman by next month because of term limits, but his death
is still a loss, said Walter Serna, who is now interim chairman. "It's a big loss to San Antonio as a
whole," said Serna, who had joined the transit board the same year Shannon did. "We lost a leader. He
was always worried about the little man and making sure the little man was taken care of."
Funeral arrangements with Lewis Funeral Home were pending Tuesday.