Philip Shane Harstine

Shane Harstine of Louisville, Kentucky, passed away peacefully on September 18, 2025, with his family by his side after a brief battle with brain cancer. Shane was the founder of the Orlando-based property management company Great American Vacations, an active member of his church, a man of deep faith, and a true patriot who will be missed by many.

Shane was born in Louisville on March 23, 1973, to the late Philip and Dorothy Harstine. Shane graduated from Louisville Male High School in 1991. That year, he met the love of his life, Heather Burris. The two were married in 2000.

Shane knew from an early age that he wanted to run his own business. After high school he went straight into the working world, where he quickly rose through the ranks at UPS and FedEx.

From their early days of marriage, Shane and Heather worked 60-70 hour work weeks. But they always took the time to travel—visiting all 50 states over the course of their marriage. Shane loved traveling, adventure, being outdoors, and the couple’s Bernese Mountain Dogs.

With Heather by his side, Shane would build two successful vacation rental and property management businesses: Vacation by the Mouse and Great American Vacations.

Shane’s success enabled him to give back to his community and to the country he loved. He defended American freedoms through his support of groups such as Turning Point USA and the Conservative Partnership Institute. In 2024, Shane was presented with the Conservative Partnership Institute’s “American Victor Award,” by Sen. Jim DeMint and the Honorable Mark Meadows.

Shane was a member of Third Avenue Baptist Church. He was active in the Highlands Latin School community which his children attended, and with the many Christian families he met there. Among Shane’s proudest moments were seeing his son Braxton and daughter Reese grow in their faith and develop a passion for good government and American history.

Shane’s dedication to his family—to his children’s classical education, to regular family dinners, to creating lifelong memories through vacations and adventures, and to sharing God’s word—was unmatched.

Shortly before his diagnosis, Shane felt called to learn more about the Word of God and to know God’s plan for his life. He would later recall this as a pivotal change in his faith journey, with the Book of Romans in particular opening his mind to the truth that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Shane accepted his cancer diagnosis with incredible valor, seeing it as an opportunity to testify to God’s goodness in his life. In his final months, Shane was an encouragement and a source of comfort, not only to his own family and friends, but to others facing doubt in their own lives and faith.

Shane spent his final days creating lifelong memories with the family he loved. Shane is survived by wife, Heather Marie Harstine; son, Braxton Shane Harstine; and daughter, Reese Renee Harstine.

A funeral will take place Monday Sept 29 at 11:00 at the Alumni Chapel at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2825 Lexington Rd, Louisville, KY 40280. Burial at 2:00 at Floydsburg Cemetery Company, 5600 Old Floydsburg Rd, Crestwood, KY 40014, will follow the funeral service.

To honor Shane’s memory, a charitable gift can be made to either of the following: The Conservative Partnership Institute, Donate Now; or Turning Point USA, Donate Now.