Elizabeth “Liz” Shannon
mbg Contributor
Elizabeth “Liz” Shannon retired from the Nantucket Fire Department in 2020 after 26 years of service as a Fire Captain and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). She holds fond memories of her profession and personal connections to the Island community where she raised two daughters, served a variety of community organizations, and embraced a lifelong passion of fishing.
Following a diagnosis of sarcoidosis in 2019, Liz was forced to decide between her career and her healthspan. She took the challenge to leave a career that she loved, and pursue a healthier, reduced-toxin lifestyle in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire. She strives to reduce the symptoms of her incurable illness with as few traditional medicines as possible and embraces her new lifestyle with gratitude and acceptance.
Liz hopes to mentor others to discover the rewards of service and pursues this goal by teaching EMT and CPR courses. As someone who loves multi-generational connections, she is also a substitute elementary teacher and serves as a Lake Host for the NH Lake Association. Liz volunteers with Casting for Recovery and the Harris Center for Conservation. She is passionate about spending time in nature, especially fly fishing, hiking, and gardening. Additionally, she loves yoga, cooking, book clubs, and traveling. Her “happy place” is having her morning cup of coffee overlooking her garden while watching songbirds, caring for her small flock of chickens, and taking her senior yellow lab Luna for a slow walk. Add in a visit from one or both of her daughters who live in CO and RI, and she’s having the perfect day! Throw in some time on the river with a trout on the fly, and she’s in her version of Heaven.
