MARYSVILLE — Shane Santos didn’t just dance.
He swirled. He spun. He shuffled.
Santos, of Marysville, was a warm, affectionate young man who loved raves, homemade jewelry and beanie-style caps. He lived by the motto “PLUR,” for Peace, Love, Unity and Respect.
He was supposed to celebrate his 19th birthday Saturday.
Instead, his family and friends will spend the day sharing memories and grief.
Santos was fatally struck by a suspected drunken driver June 9 on Shoultes Road. Two of his closest friends were seriously injured.
Santos grew up in Marysville and attended Marysville Pilchuck High School. He worked at the local pet-supply store, Paws It On, owned by his grandmother, Sylvia Leiataua.
Santos had a large group of friends, many of whom shared his love of rave culture. He liked to hang out at Comeford Park, play hackysack and wear his pajamas during the day.
“He wasn’t a go-getter,” said his aunt, Jessica Anderson. “He loved living in the moment, enjoying what was in front of him.”
He was “a drama-free kind of guy,” said his father, Dave Santos.
His friends called him “Hugz,” and he was someone they could count on when they were lonely, had a problem or just needed a hug.
Santos was out walking with friends when he was run down. The driver, who is out on bail, sped away. Police are investigating the case as a potential vehicular homicide with two additional vehicular assaults.
His family is spending time together and focusing most on remembering.
Younger brother Tyren, 14, cherished him. Santos taught Tyren to play guitar and for days afterward, Tyren walked around the house with the guitar slung over his shoulder. And when he thought no one was watching, his family would see him practicing his older brother’s shuffling dance moves.
His family hoped he eventually would travel with his father to Guam to meet grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles.
The people indigenous to Guam are of Chamorro heritage. Santos’ Chamorro-German family is close. They almost always spend Sundays together, eating and talking.
In recent years, they were pleased to see how much Shane Santos took to heart traditional Chamorro values, especially respect for elders. Two people he was especially close to were his uncle, Mike Santos, and stepmother, Monika Peterson.
He also was close with his grandmother. Customers at Paws It On often commented on how courteous he was, Anderson said.
Santos loved animals, which made him a great fit at the store. He liked meeting all the pets that people brought in while shopping.
Once, when Shane Santos was little, a family friend was recovering from a broken leg. The man was worried the active boy would jump on him, which would be painful.
He told Shane Santos to go into the back yard and catch a bird. He promised him $20.
A little while later, the boy walked inside with a live bird cupped in his hands.
“He was always just doing surprising things like that,” Anderson said. “He was really funny. He was just a funny kid.”
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com
Memorial Saturday
A public memorial is planned Saturday for Shane Santos, the Marysville teen who was struck and killed June 9 on Shoultes Road by a suspected drunken driver.
The memorial is set for 11 a.m. at the Francis Sheldon Gymnasium, Marysville Tulalip Campus, 7204 27th Ave. NE.
Donations to help the family with memorial and burial costs can be made to the Shane Santos Memorial Fund at any Bank of America branch.
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