Gilbert James Shea

1928 - 2021

October 5, 1928 - December 23, 2020 Gilbert "Gil" James Shea Jr. 1928-2020Gil Shea passed away Wednesday morning December 23rd, 2020 from natural causes. He was 92.He was a Southern California Tennis Hall of Fame athlete who competed in international Grand Slam tennis events throughout the 1950s.Gil was born in Portland, Oregon and was raised in Los Angeles, CA where he rode his bike to play tennis every day at the Los Angeles Tennis Club with his brother John. Gil attended LA High School and in 1948 he was recruited and played #1 for the University of Southern California tennis team. His ascending tennis career was interrupted by two years of service in the Army during the Korean War. After returning and graduating from the business school at USC, Gil continued his tennis career playing from 1954 to 1957 as a top 10 tennis player in the U.S. He played on the Davis Cup Team in 1954 and secured the #4 U.S. ranking in 1957. Gil retired from tennis in 1959 and moved to Manhattan Beach, California where he met Claire Wellenkamp, who was a school teacher at the time. The two were married in 1961 in Claire's hometown of Santa Maria and eventually moved to Pacific Palisades where they raised their five children. Gil worked as an institutional broker for Lehman Brothers, opening their Los Angeles sales office, then later for Seidler Amdec and other brokerage firms.No matter his achievements on or off the court, Gil's character was largely defined by his Christian faith. He was devoted to his family and remained a strong role model for his five children and sixteen grandchildren. Always optimistic and positive, Gil was a mentor and a confidant committed to his wife, children, grandchildren and siblings. He was also close friends with many associates and golfing buddies. Gil was a devout Catholic who attended 8 AM daily mass at Corpus Christi Church in the Palisades and could be seen riding his bike there well into his eighties.Gil is survived by his wife Claire of 59 years, his five children Mollie Dietsch (John), Gilbert 'Gibby' Shea III (Ann), Jennifer 'Jennie' Swan (Sam), Elizabeth 'Betsy' Tripaldi (Jeff), Michael Shea (Jordan), sixteen grandchildren and siblings John Shea (Dorothy), Maureen Robinson (Phil) and Mollie O'Melveny (Stuart – deceased). Sister, Susie Hanrahan (Bud), predeceased him. A private ceremony will be held at Corpus Christi Church. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The Gil Shea Memorial Fund at Corpus Christ Church at 887 Toyopa Dr., Pacific Palisades, CA, 90272.