Shaun Michael Timmerman

Shaun was a straight shooter. He didn't believe in sugar coating the truth, he'd give it to you straight. He was a minimalist. He believed there was more to life than a person's possessions. Friendships were very important to him. Better to have a few really good, genuine friends than to have a whole lot of people we refer to as 'friends' on social media. He was kind and generous to those who were honest with him. He didn't expect anything for free. You had to earn it. Whether it was a friendship, employment or something he bought in a store, if it was worth having he wanted to earn it fare and square.

Shaun was born on Monday, July 13, 1998. He was the second child of John and Carolyn Timmerman. Although he started his life at a healthy 7 lbs. 5 oz. it was apparent from the start that gaining weight was going to be a struggle for him. Not only did he lack the sensation of hunger that signals our bodies to nourish ourselves, he experienced a great aversion to many tastes and textures that most people wouldn't notice. At 1 year of age Shaun weighed a mere 15.5 lbs. But this did not slow him down. Shaun was riding his bike without training wheels at 4 years of age and boy could he ice skate. At the age of 14 he weighed 65 lbs. and was 52 inches tall. Despite this, Shaun was a healthy individual. Rarely coming down with the common cold or flu that most of his classmates would catch at school. But he was roughly half the size of his friends. While in middle school, Shaun was referred to the Iowa City Hospital for short stature. Despite countless tests, doctors were unable to diagnosis Shaun's condition. He was prescribed cyproheptadine to simulate his appetite. When Shaun turned 18 he could no longer be seen in the pediatric department in Iowa City. At this time he choose to discontinue the search for a diagnosis and cure. Shaun graduated from high school a semester early, anxious to start a new chapter in his life. Shortly after high school he began working at TDM Machining as a CNC operator. Shaun took great pride in his knowledge and skill. He was dependable and conscientious. Just before his 23rd birthday Shaun purchased a mobile home in Key West, Ia. Life appeared to be going well for him. But his aversion with food was still a constant in his life. Shortly before Shaun's death he confided to us that eating had become harder than ever. He even said he believed he would starve to death by the time he was 30. Shaun was tired. In physical pain from lack of eating. Discouraged. And yes, he was depressed. Shaun decided to stop the pain on October 24, 2023. He was 25 years old.