Marsha Ellen Shea

Marsha Ellen Collis Shea, age 79, passed away peacefully at her home on November 17, 2025. She was born on October 2, 1946, in Springfield, Massachusetts, to Leonard Stuart Collis and Barbara Mae Henshaw Collis. Marsha’s family later moved to California, where she began high school. She graduated from Grossmont High School in 1964. She earned her BA degree, along with teaching and librarian credentials, from Cal Western University in 1968.
After graduation, Marsha taught in the La Mesa–Spring Valley School District for three years before beginning her long and meaningful career as an assistant in the library. She worked as a librarian at the Descanso library, and then as an assistant in periodicals in the San Diego City Library System. She later joined San Diego State University, where she served in Serials and Acquisitions for 25 years, retiring in 2009.
Marsha’s greatest joy was her family. She is survived by her daughter, Katherine Elizabeth Shea of Hesperia, California, and her son, Stuart Urial Shea of Santee. She was a devoted grandmother to Aidan, Devin, and Sofia DeStefano, who were the light of her life. Marsha also leaves behind her loving sister, Debbie Metcalf of Greenville, North Carolina, her brother, David Collis of Santa Rosa, and many beloved nieces and nephews.
She will be remembered for her love of family, friends, and community. She was an avid reader, and her love for books was only matched by her love of cats. Marsha was a devoted daughter and a dedicated support and caretaker to her parents in their later years. She enjoyed traveling, attending live music performances, attending plays, and volunteering at the Old Globe Theater. She loved nothing more than spending time with and talking to loved ones and friends she cherished. Selfless, generous, quick-witted, and a wonderful conversationalist, Marsha enriched the lives of all who knew her.
If you would like to honor her memory, in lieu of flowers, please consider supporting one of Marsha’s passions with a donation to PBS, any public library, or the National Cat Protection Society in Spring Valley.
A celebration of life will be held on January 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM at Foothills United Methodist Church in La Mesa, CA.
“Life is better with cats and books.”

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