SHANE DEAN FAULKNER MEMORIAL FUND

Shane Dean Faulkner, 50, passed away far too soon on May 13, 2022 in the loving arms of his devoted wife Jovanka and beloved daughter Violet. We held him tightly as he left this world, stolen from us by cancer. In lieu of flowers, Shane requested that this memorial fund be set up to benefit the education of his twelve-year-old daughter, so that his death may have more meaning in helping her achieve her dreams. All funds will be deposited into Violet's existing Registered Education Savings Plan for her post secondary education.

Shane was born in Mississauga, Ontario on June 28, 1971. He spent his formative years in Orono, Ontario before moving to Toronto with just a skateboard and a handful of clothes to immerse himself in counterculture and underground music. A gifted artist, and self made man, Shane briefly considered commercial art school, his grandfather Bert Faulkner having owned a successful sign painting company in the 1950s. But he was too much a rebellious spirit to follow so closely in Bert’s footsteps, and decided instead to pursue the more subversive art of tattooing. Ever grateful for the opportunity and generosity of beloved friend Bill Baker — who gave Shane his start in the discipline at Tatarama back in 1989 — Shane blazed his own trail, eventually opening his successful custom tattoo studio in Toronto, Ontario. It was at King of Fools Custom Tattoos where he met his wife Jovanka, with whom he would share a life, home, business and daughter Violet.

A natural born musician, Shane found his talent best served as a lyricist at the microphone with his deep, throaty voice — writing and belting out hardcore, heavy metal and rock songs with several bands in the Toronto music scene, most notably, Semi-Auto Reflex and Redeemer. It was a performance that belied his shy nature. Still, Shane sang all the time. He was especially known for singing while he tattooed. He brought a joyful energy to his work and made every person who sat in his chair feel like they were the only person that mattered in that moment — because to him, they were. He was an astute listener who would openly share his hard-won wisdom, but only when solicited. “Ask yourself,” he’d say plainly, “does this make my life better? If not, change it.” He believed in people, apprenticed other artists, generously sharing his decades of knowledge and skill with others so they could then make a career of their own from his gifts. He was kind and generous with his staff, and others. But also took absolutely no shit from anyone. He cut an imposing silhouette, always stood up for himself and the people he cared about, and never backed down from a fight in his life.

While he was a gregarious storyteller and entertainer at work, in his private life Shane was a quiet, thoughtful person who loved being at home with his wife and daughter more than anything else. He was quick witted, with a sarcastic sense of humour, always making people laugh. He loved drawing, film, literature, comic books and being in nature with his loyal dog Dutch — a strong, stoic 140lb Cane Corso Italian mastiff that mirrored his own personality in many ways. He loved birds of prey, heavy metal, horror movies, Frank Frazetta and Charles Bukowski. Shane had the word “Faith” tattooed on his neck not because he was religious, rather, because he believed that success laid within individuals themselves and not with external conditions. On his knuckles, emblazoned the word “True,” for he was as genuine as they came. He most identified with King Kong, The Iron Giant, Swamp Thing and Hellboy — misunderstood monsters that often had powerful messages to teach us about changing your own destiny. Lessons Shane lived and taught us every day through his own actions. That it’s okay to fail, just get back up and put yourself together again. That you may be haunted by the ghosts of your past, but they do not define you. That you are who you choose to be.

Shane saw beauty in everything. He was the type of person who could be brought to tears being in the presence of a great masterwork of art or a beautiful sunset. Shane devoted his life to his family, of whom he was fiercely protective and loyal. He and his soul mate, wife, Jovanka shared morning coffee every day and family dinner at the table every night for nearly 15 years. He encouraged Jovanka to reach for the stars, often through great personal sacrifice on his behalf. Most earnestly, he lived for his daughter Violet (named after his late grandmother), whom he always referred to as his greatest achievement in life. He could not be prouder of the young woman she was growing to be and made sure she knew it every day. He loved, encouraged, and protected Violet. He cultivated her artistic ability, developed her enormous inner strength, nurtured her emotional intelligence, and taught her many things in his short time with her. Among them: how to draw, skateboard, swim, sing, laugh, find joy in everything she does, the value of being in service to others, to be a good person above all and, ultimately, how to be brave in the face of unimaginable adversity. He was, in the words of his daughter, “a very giving, kind, loyal and brave person.”

Shane passed away at Carpenter Hospice in Burlington, Ontario from a rare incurable sarcoma that was stage 4 by the time it was discovered. We are grateful for the deft and compassionate care he received at Carpenter in the final days of his long goodbye. With strong hands and a loving heart, his wife Jovanka cared for him for eleven extremely difficult months after his diagnosis as we hoped for a miracle that never came. Shane did not want to leave us and did everything he could to stay. We held him in our arms as he left this earth to become something bigger than all of us. His life was taken by cancer, but his spirit would not be diminished. He lives forever in the hearts of his loved ones as well as the countless people whose lives he transformed through the gift of his presence, the music he made, and the art he created on their bodies. We are grateful for the chance to have known and been loved by Shane Faulkner. He is survived by his devoted wife Jovanka and their only child Violet. In keeping with Shane’s wishes, cremation has taken place and a memorial visitation is scheduled for Friday May 20th from 4pm - 7pm at Smiths Funeral Home at 485 Brant Street in Burlington, Ontario. All of his friends and clients are encouraged to attend. A private celebration of life will take place at a later date, at his favourite place.

“Without the cold and desolation of winter there could not be the warmth and splendour of spring. Hardships have tempered and strengthened me and turned my mind to steel.”