Happy Heavenly Birthday Shannon Forde

By Jay Horwitz

The passage of time makes it possible for people to forget. I can’t let that happen to Shannon Forde. Today (Saturday, June 21, 2025) Shannon celebrates her 10th birthday in heaven, and I want to say again what a joy it was to work alongside her for 22 years in our media relations department.

I can’t believe she has been gone for so long. Somedays, it seems like only yesterday. Shannon was smart, friendly, dedicated to her family and dedicated to the Mets. I don’t know how she did it. Raising two young kids and putting in all those long hours at Shea Stadium and Citi Field.

I remember during a long homestand we would leave the park after mid-night and be back at our desk early the next morning. Both of us had to make the drive to New Jersey, so it wasn’t easy.

When cancer struck in 2012, she never asked for any favors. She battled through her treatments and worked for as long as she could. She hated it when folks would come by her office and ask how she was doing. Everyone adored her, the players, the media, and our front office. I don’t ever remember anyone ever saying a bad word about her.

I still recall the moment when I got the call that she had passed, and her fight was finally over. It was Friday night March 4, 2016 and I was having dinner with some friends in Port Lucie at Spring Training.

We had a memorial service a few days later at Citi Field. Close to 1,000 people were there. What a testament to her life. Her buddy David Wright was one of the speakers.

The saying goes that time is supposed to heal everything. Well, not in regard to her. Happy Birthday, Shannon. We still miss you and we will never forget.