Shane Anthony Freeman

Shane Anthony Freeman was born in Euclid, Ohio, on August 12, 1993. He spent his childhood and most of his adult life in his beloved city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, before relocating to Kalamazoo in 2020.

Shane was passionate and intelligent, achieving much in his short life. He was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on September 28, 2002, at just eight years old. He often described his years in full-time ministry and serving in the Grand Rapids American Sign Language Congregation as the best of his life.

A talented graphic designer and digital artist, Shane graduated from Kent Career Technical Center’s CAD engineering program. He was diligent and passionate about every project he touched, with his designs displayed on signs, products, and buildings throughout Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. He especially loved creating merchandise for his fellow musicians.

But music was the love of his life. At thirteen, after watching Jimmy Page’s guitar solo in The Song Remains the Same, he dedicated himself to learning the guitar—his first, a gift from his grandfather. Over the years, he played in several music groups, forging lifelong friendships with his bandmates. He also produced multiple solo albums under the monikers Shanf and Castleship, with his 2023 release, Meatball, being his pride and joy.

Whether strumming his guitar, capturing moments with his beloved DSLR, or drawing cosmic dreamscapes, Shane was always creating—a passion shared with his wife, Jordan Freeman, whom he married on August 14, 2020, in St. Ignace, Michigan.

Shane was gentle, charismatic, and wildly funny, but above all else, he was a caretaker. He loved his friends, family, and congregation with all he had. He will be dearly missed by his wife, Jordan; his parents, Irene and Vance; his siblings, Jamie, Andrew, and Michael; his grandmother, Martha; his best friend, Greg; his many nieces and nephews; and countless other close friends and family members—including his beloved cat, Winifred.

He passed away on March 23, 2025. To know Shane was to love him, and his absence leaves a void in many lives. A celebration of his life will be held on April 6, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. at 927 N Drake Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49006.

Acts 24:15 “And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our trials so that we may be able to comfort others in any sort of trial with the comfort that we receive from God.”

1 John 3:20 “Regarding whatever our hearts may condemn us in, because God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.”

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.