James F. SHUGRUE

SHUGRUE, James F.

James F. ("Bud") Shugrue, 93, of Wethersfield, formerly of Norwich, entered into eternal peace on November 12, 2011. He was born in Norwich, Connecticut, the son of John F. and Abigail (Fogarty) Shugrue and attended local schools. He served in the South Pacific during World War II as a member of the 58th Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees) and achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He was awarded a Navy Commendation Medal, and earned three battle stars for campaigns at Guadalcanal, Vella Lavella, and Okinawa. He was a Registered Professional Engineer, employed by the CT Department of Transportation for 39 years, beginning as a surveyor and holding increasingly responsible positions including Chief of Construction, Chief Engineer, and Deputy Commissioner. He was appointed Commissioner of the DOT by Governor Ella Grasso in 1975, retiring in 1979. At the DOT he supervised the design and construction of over 600 miles of Connecticut expressways and Interstate highways, but changed with the times and was particularly proud of the progress in mass transit, including vanpools and commuter buses, made during the 1970's. He was appointed Chairman of the CT Resources Recovery Authority by Governor William O'Neill in 1984 and served in that capacity until 1987, during a period of significant construction of the state's waste-to-energy plants. He also served on the Governor's Screening Committee from 1987 to 1999, served as chairman of the Norwich Housing Authority, chairman of North Central CT Infoline, and was a member of the Wethersfield Planning and Zoning Commission. During one interview upon his retirement from DOT, he called public service "an infection of the spirit." He received the Norwich Native Son Award and key to the city in 1973. He was a communicant of Corpus Christi Church. While our Pop had an extremely rewarding and successful career, he was most proud of his family, and he was an amazing husband and father. Virtually all who met him paid him the highest of compliments - that he was a true gentleman. Two of his passions were golfing at Indian Hill Country Club and watching the Red Sox. He loved coaching his son Jimmy and watching his sons and grandsons play baseball. We know that he supported us in all that we did. He is survived by his four children: James J. (Joanne) Shugrue of Wethersfield, Mary Ellen Shugrue of Rocky Hill, Noreen (Kevin Kenzenkovic) Shugrue of Manchester, and Thomas (Linda Healy) Shugrue of Wethersfield, three grandsons: Patrick, Matthew and Christopher Shugrue of Rocky Hill, his brother Joseph Shugrue (Mary) of Virginia and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife of 55 years, Geraldine (O'Neil) Shugrue, his brother Rev. John Shugrue, and his sister Mary Shugrue. His family extends a special thank you to the staff of the Atrium and his daily caregivers, Luis and Jahmel for the wonderful care they gave to Pop and for the support they gave to us. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, November 16, at 10 a.m. in Corpus Christi Church, 601 Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield. Burial will be at the convenience of the family at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Norwich, CT.
Friends may call at the Farley-Sullivan Funeral Home, 34 Beaver Rd, Wethersfield on Tuesday, November 15 from 4-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Shugrue Scholarship Fund at Northwest Catholic High School, 29 Wampanoag Dr, West Hartford, CT 06117. To share a memory please visit farleysullivan.com.