Edward M. "Ted" Shay

1958 - 2023

Edward M. "Ted" Shay
January 11, 2023
Edward M. Shay passed peacefully on January 11, 2023 after a long battle with brain cancer leaving his family broken hearted. Ted was born on May 19, 1958, to the late Edward N. and Joan Brereton Shay. He was their everything, and he shared a very close relationship with them until their deaths.
Ted began his adventurous life in Morris Cove surrounded by his loving extended family. He attended St. Bernadette School, but Ted and the nuns didn't see eye to eye on more than one occasion and a threat to call Granny Brereton was often used to keep him in line. In second grade, he moved to Orange where he spent much of his childhood running around the neighborhood and causing mischief with his friends. He was a daredevil at heart and kept his parents on their toes. Ted followed in his dad's footsteps and grew up playing hockey. He formed a large group of life-long friends that stayed close and took Ted out for weekly lunches. In 2018, Ted and his teammates were inducted into the Hamden Hall Sports Hall of Fame.
Ted went on to graduate from Providence College with a business degree, but a desk job just didn't suit him. Ted needed to be active, and he settled on becoming an electrician. Ted joined the IBEW Local 90 and was a member for over 20 years.
On a fateful night in the late '80s, Ted met his wife, Sybil at Gentry's in New Haven. They talked all night trading funny stories from their childhood and the rest was history. Ted made sure Sybil didn't take things too seriously, and Sybil made sure Ted stayed on the straight and narrow. Together, they settled in Guilford and were blessed with three children, Michael, Alexandra and Teddy. Ted's life was filled with happy chaos as he followed them to soccer, Gaelic Football, dance, piano and Boy Scouts.
For most of his life, Ted's favorite place in the world was his house on the beach. As a younger man, he spent his summers working as a cabana boy and playing beach volleyball. Weekends and holidays were spent with his family and a slew of friends. His last summer was spent just looking out at the ocean and enjoying the beach.
Calling hours will be 4:00 – 7:00 on Monday evening at the W. S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home, 244 North Main Street, Branford. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday morning at 11:00 at the First Congregational Church, 122 Broad Street, Guilford. Burial will be private.
Those who wish, can send contributions to Camp Rising Sun, a camp for children who have been faced with the diagnosis of cancer at P. O. Box 472, Branford, CT 06405 or www.camprisingsun.com . For directions and online memorial see www.wsclancy.com