Rev. Thomas J. Shea

1922 - 2014

Rev. Thomas J. Shea
Resident of San Jose
Thomas Joseph Shea, the son of John P. Shea and Teresa B. Hughes, was born in Berkeley, California, on August 30, 1922. He attended Saint Augustine Elementary School, Oakland, then entered Saint Joseph's College Seminary, Los Altos. He completed his seminary education at Maryknoll in Ossining , New York, and was ordained on June 11, 1949. After completing promotional work for Maryknoll in Boston, Chicago and Seattle, he worked in the missions in Yucatan from 1952–1968. He served as a pastor outside of Mexico City from 1969–1975, where he oversaw the construction of St. Maria Reina Church.. After studying in Rome, Father Shea served as pastor in São Paolo, Brazil, from 1975-1981. In 1982, Father Shea returned to the United States, and was assigned as parochial vicar at Saint Maria Goretti Parish in San Jose. He was incardinated as a priest of the Diocese of San Jose on May 12, 1984. In 1986, he became pastor of Saint Leo the Great Parish in San Jose, until his retirement in 1995. Father Shea lived at Saint Joseph Retirement House in Cupertino, assisting at Church of the Ascension and other parishes and in ministry to the elderly. He is survived by his nephews, Stephen and his wife Joy (Connecticut). Lawrence and his wife Leticia (Los Angeles), and Jeffrey and his wife Gail (Albany CA). His nephew Michael (Seattle) died in 2011, and is survived by his wife Evelyn Wright. Father Shea is also survived by many great-nieces and great-nephews, by other East Bay relatives, including the McInerney's, and by Massachusetts relatives, including Charles Jones and Carol Devlin-Festa. Father Shea was predeceased by his brother John P. Shea (1920–1961). Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Church of the Ascension in Saratoga on Friday, December 19, at 10:00 am. Visitation will begin at the church at 8:45, and a decade of the rosary will be recited at 9:30 am. A reception will be held at Ascension, and burial will follow at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery.