Shane T. Willis

Shane Tyler Willis was born December 19, 1991, in Moscow, Idaho, to Bruce and Dayna Willis. He and his wife Melynda tragically passed away in a car accident April 29, 2026, in Mitchell, South Dakota.

Shane was the oldest of two brothers. From an early age, Shane developed a love for the outdoors. If you couldn’t find him in the house, he would be outside with his brother Koby playing and getting into mischief. He loved to hunt and fish, ride four-wheelers, and go camping and boating.

Shane graduated from Moscow High School in 2010. During his senior year in high school, he got a job working at Les Schwab Tire Center. That was the beginning of a career that led him to where he was today in Pierre, South Dakota. Shane worked for the Moscow Les Schwab Tire Center until he became an assistant manager in Colfax, Washington. He spent two years working in the Colfax store and then two years working in the Cheney, Washington, store before he and his family moved to Pierre, South Dakota, in February of 2025 where he became a manager for the first time in a brand-new store.

Shane met the love of his life, Melynda McNamarra in October 2019. Their love story grew quickly, and they became engaged in March 2020. They were married in September 2021 surrounded by many family and friends. While their time together was short, they became parents to two beautiful children, Hudson and Hadley. They lived life to the fullest as a family of four and didn’t let anything hold them back. Although Shane was not on this Earth as long as any of us wanted, we know he had no regrets about things he didn’t do. He got the opportunity of a lifetime to go alligator hunting in Florida and was extremely excited about his catch and having it taxidermied.

Shane had a generous spirit and was always very giving of his time and talents to others, oftentimes at the expense of getting to spend more time with his precious family. He made many friends in the short time that he, Melynda, and the children lived in Pierre. This was evidenced by the huge outpouring of love shown to his and Melynda’s families after the accident. His laugh and smile were infectious and will be remembered by many people.

Shane is survived by his parents, his brother, and his two children, along with his grandparents Jim and Lynne Uhlenkott and Archie and RBD Willis. He is also survived by his uncle, three aunts, eight cousins, and his in-laws. He was preceded in death by his grandmother Anita Uhlenkott and his cousin Garrett Zenner.

Shane’s legacy of helping others will live on through the positive things he has done throughout his life and through the lives of Hudson and Hadley.

Shane will be laid to rest alongside Melynda at the Moscow Cemetery in Moscow, Idaho.

A Memorial Service for Shane & Melynda will be held at 11:00 a.m on Saturday May 16, 2026 at the Moscow Church of the Nazarene.

In lieu of flowers a Go Fund Me account has been established in the children’s names. A second Go Fund Me account has been established for the First Responders in Mitchell, South Dakota, who assisted when the call went out for help. Shane’s family will forever be indebted to this community and the community of Pierre, South Dakota, for the care and compassion shown to his small family.

For the children: https://gofund.me/9d12777c1

For the First Responders: https://gofund.me/abef502d1