‘Shannon's family came first’

Friends have paid tribute to a ‘devoted’ father-of-four who died suddenly at the weekend.

Shannon Simons was rushed to hospital by ambulance on Saturday and died the next day.

Friends and family have been left stunned by the popular 38-year-old’s sudden and tragic death.

Mr Simons, who had worked in construction and most recently for Cablevision, was a father to three young daughters; Xyiah, Xhe’naye and Nahzjse, and a young son, Shannon.

His close friend, Otis Simons, told the Bermuda Sun: “He was a devout father and husband, and family was everything to him.

“He was someone that came from a checkered past but found comfort and enjoyment in spending time with his children and godchildren.

“He had a smile that lit up a room and such a contagious laugh.

“He was a true friend and would do anything for you without looking for anything in return.

“He was truly one in a million. He will be missed.” Mr Simons lived in the Spanish Point area and was a passionate Chelsea fan.

He was also an avid scrambling fan.

Friend Jaja Millett said: “I got to know Shannon just after high school.

“At that time he was into bikes and anything mechanical.

“He loved scrambling too — that was his real passion.

“But he had a couple of bad accidents that left him with some pretty serious injuries.

“Shannon always made sure his family came first.

“We would invite him to come out with us, but he would always put them first and everything else was second, and everyone respected him for that.” Mr Millett added: “Shannon was a real genuine guy — he was always the same way with everyone.

“He loved spending time with his friends watching football and scrambling.

“But he put his family and his kids before everything.

“Right now everyone is just stunned and in shock.

“It’s a hard pill to swallow to lose someone this young, especially with four young children.”