Memorial Fund Established After Minn. Medic`s Death

Sept. 04--A memorial fund has been established for the family of a St. Paul firefighter and paramedic who died in the line of duty this week, the fire department said Thursday.

Shane Clifton, 38, of South St. Paul collapsed and died Monday while working at Station 14 at Snelling and Laurel avenues. He suffered a massive heart attack, his family said in his obituary.

Instead of dropping off items in memory of Clifton at the station, the fire department said memorials are preferred to a fund for his family. Clifton had two daughters, ages 1 and 8.

Memorials can be sent to the Shane Clifton Memorial Fund, Attn: Carla Baier, Alliance Bank, 55 E. Fifth St., Suite 115, St. Paul, MN 55101.

Clifton had been a St. Paul firefighter since 2007. He spent nine years in the Navy stationed in Japan, with deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, his obituary said. He went on two humanitarian missions to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

Clifton's funeral will include full military and fire-service honors. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church, 1669 N. Arcade St. in St. Paul, with a funeral to follow at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

Cards and letters of condolence to Clifton's family can be sent in care of the St. Paul Fire Department, 645 Randolph Ave., St. Paul, Minn. 55102.

Flags will remain at half-staff at city facilities until the morning after Clifton's funeral.

The firehouse where he served has been draped in black bunting.

Mara H. Gottfried can be reached at 651-228-5262. Follow her at twitter.com/MaraGottfried.

Copyright 2015 - Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.