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John “Shannon” Fleming passed away on August 18, 2026, with “faith over fear” leading him Home. When he would have been on his first cup of coffee reading the sports section or playing the newspaper’s Super Quiz, instead on that morning he was striding through Heaven’s gates, smiling, nodding, with arms overhead in victory.
Shannon is survived by his adoring wife, Kelly, daughter Drew Herget (yes his daughter, never a “step”), son-in-law Ryan and three month old grandson Hayes; his father and step-mother Herman and Pat Fleming; siblings Sabra Nelson (Mike), Steve Fleming, and Sanci Sloan (partner Alec) and step-sister Kim Prince (David); nieces and nephews Josh Fleming (Andrea), Jenny Wiens, Morgan Fleming, Nicole Lee and Justin Lee; and fun great-nieces and nephews. Not all family is blood. Also sharing this loss are great friends and children of friends, including but certainly not limited to his “Monticello Boys” and childhood friends, the “Old Dudes,” with whom he spent his last good night on Lake Hamilton.
Shannon (ShanMan, Messy Marvin, the Double-Ordained Good Reverand Dr. ) was born in Monticello and loved Lower Arkansas: its water, its woods, its people. A graduate of University of Arkansas at Monticello, he paid his way through college by working the tomato shed in the summer and keeping stats at Boll Weevil football and basketball games during the school year. Next, he earned his MBA at Louisiana Tech and later, while working at his alma mater, He completed his doctorate in Higher Education Administration from UA Little Rock.
He enjoyed 30+ years in higher education leadership, primarily in fundraising: connecting donors to projects they were passionate about. There were 16 terrific years at his alma mater where he was immersed in the community, for example president of Monticello Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce. He became a Special Olympics coach, and volunteered for almost 20 years, even chaperoning athletes to Alaska.
Life changes and new work opportunities eventually brought him to central Arkansas where he continued to excel in raising tens of millions of dollars for Arkansas’ higher education institutions, including University of Central Arkansas, Philander Smith College and later UAMS Institute on Aging and UAMS Rockefeller Cancer Institute, where ironically, he would later receive the care he had fundraised for. A colleague observed, “His impact on the landscape of higher education in Arkansas was enormous.” These UAMS roles set him up for his final chapter in elder and long-term care administration. A former boss called Shannon the company’s “Culture Warrior.” He also spent two years as Executive Director of University of Southern Mississippi Foundation. Marrying Kelly is what brought him home.
In 2016 he was named Arkansas Fundraiser of the Year and a UAM Distinguished Alumni in 2024.
But a resume tells you what a person did, not who a person was.
His south Arkansas accent and boyish charm belied his keen intellect. He had MacGyver-like resourcefulness. He had effortless warmth and strong faith and handed both out like candy. His eyes twinkled and he had the biggest afro and beard of any 9th grader ever. He loved to give things away: cornbread dressing at Thanksgiving and south Arkansas tomatoes in the summer. If he had cash, he would give it away too… to the waitress, the check-out girl, the musician. His favorite clothing was a hoodie. But he sure cleaned up nice. Impromptu happy hours with friends happened on the regular, as did fish fries and crawfish boils. All dogs invited. Always. He rescued at least one kitten and two dogs. He loved convertible drives on backroads. He loved the beach and would plan trips months in advance just to look forward to them. He named all his plants. He was dangerous on Amazon. He was devoted to visiting his dad and brother in the nursing home and organizing Fleming get-togethers. He embraced Kelly’s family as his own, and reveled in creating memories for Drew. He and Kelly were married 11 years and 8 months, a personal best for both. He could NOT keep up with his wallet, keys or phone. Good thing he doesn’t need those in Heaven.
Shannon was quietly kind of a big deal. Certainly, to those of us fortunate to live, work and play alongside him.
Family and friends were moved by, and grateful for, the exemplary care Shannon received at Hospice Home Care in Little Rock. And to Dr. Natalie “Brooke” Peeples, UAMS Palliative Care, thank you for adding quality to our final months and peace to our final days.
Please join family in remembering Shannon on Saturday, August 29, at Wesley Chapel on the Philander Smith campus. Visitation at 10 a.m., service at 11 a.m., and all invited to the Capitol Hotel afterward for light refreshments and celebration. If you’re a Boll Weevil feel free to wear your green.
In lieu of food or flowers, please consider a gift to the UAM Foundation Fund for The Dr. Shannon and Kelly Fleming Scholarship Fund, PO Box 3520, Monticello, AR 71656 or online at uamont.edu or Habitat for Humanity of Central Arkansas (Shannon was their best monthly donor) at habitatcentralar.org/give
