Shawn Marquis Spears was born to Angelia Williams on June 24, 1993 in Portsmouth, Virginia.

He received his public school education in the Virginia Beach City Public School system. He graduated with honors from the Technology Academy of Landstown High School in 2011.

Shawn began attending the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses with his mother at the age of 15 at the Landstown congregation.  He attended Ocean congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses  where he restarted the study of the Bible. At the time of his death, Shawn attended meetings  regularly and participated in Bible discussions.

Shawn had many hobbies which included playing videogames, computers, cooking, working out, and going to the movies. He was a technology guru. He enjoyed working with anything technology related.  He even started a small business repairing computers and troubleshooting computer related problems. He took pride in cooking for family and friends. His specialties were fried chicken, barbecue ribs, and sweet potato pies.  He will be remembered for his positive attitude, jovial spirit, a personality that lit up any room, but especially for his infectious laugh and smile.

He leaves to cherish his memory his loving parents, Henry and Angelia Williams; sister, Shawnda Hinton; two nieces, Amani Hinton and Aniyah Matthews; two aunts, Debra Knight and Valerie Knight; grandparents, Horace C. Knight, Sr. and Charlie Mae Knight; two great aunts, Marguerite Pitts and Flora P. Miller, and a host of other relatives and friends.  He was preceded in death by his aunt, Natalie Faye Knight, and uncle, Horace C. Knight, Jr.