It's difficult to know what former Detroit Red Wing Shawn Burr enjoyed more in life.....hockey or hilarity.
Coaches, teammates, friends, and family will vouche that he was good at both; often ripping one-liners to anyone that would listen during his 16 seasons of professional hockey.
There was nothing funny about the news I received late last night.....Shawn Burr is dead at the age of 47.
Not necessarily known for possessing the body of a greek god and often ribbing himself about his own weight Shawn once told me, "I'm not blessed with one of the greatest bodies in the world." In fact, he shared that when he first came to training camp the Red Wings wanted him to gain weight and gave him protein shakes and told him to mix it with ice cream. "It created a monster and I've gained five pounds ever since," he joked. Despite his less-than-beach-body-physique Shawn was know for his physical play as his helped the Red Wings reach the Stanley Cup Finals after a 28 year draught since the club's last Finals appearance.
Many years later, while Shawn and I had a signing appearance together at the Gibraltar Trade Center Sports Card Show, it became clear early-on that fans still appreciate his impact on Red Wing hockey.
Despite Shawn's success in professional hockey and subsequent post-athletic career as a financial advisor for Smith Barney, he still found time in his busy schedule to give back to the community through numerous appearances with the Red Wing Alumni Association and other charitable events.
Shawn's triumph over his serious diagnosis of Leukemia in 2011 proved he was still a champion but no one would have guessed that two years later, while in remission of this disease, he would have an unfortunate fall that would lead to his passing.
During a 2007 interview for my book,
"FROM GLORY DAYS - Successful Transitions of Professional Detroit Athletes," Shawn told me, "I kind of knew my days in Detroit were numbered."
At 47 years of age, little did we know that those days would numbered this low.
RIP - Shawn Burr
www.fromglorydays.com
