Obituary of Marion Shea

Marion E Shea, Marion was born Marion Elisabeth Burke on April 7, 1937 in the Bronx, New York. Marion youngest days were spent in the Bronx in various places, her mother Josephine had a bit of gypsy in her and moved around quite often. A trait that was passed along for many generations. On her first day of school, Marion went off with her older sister Geraldine and their dog Whitey to begin 1st grade. Well after about 2 hours, Marion decided she was smart enough and did not need any more schooling so she and Whitey walked home crossing large city streets. From the start, Marion knew what she wanted and what she didn't. Marion was a bit too rough and tumble for the Catholic School system. Marion was a true tomboy who loved kick the can, Johnny on the pony and playing any kind of ball. Her partner in mischief was her dear cousin John Branagan. The two would be smoking down the alleyways, snipping things from the local stores. Always pushing to see how far she could go. If there was trouble you would find Marion and John. Times were tough the war was on and at that time everyone worked, Marion's job at a very very young age was to work where they ration out the food, potatoes to be exact. She would spend her days packing up one pound bags because that's what each family was entitled to. Her "pay" at the end of the week was a pound of potatoes, which helped her parents feed the family of 6, before her older brothers Ed and Steve had left for the war. Her older sisters Anna and she got her 1st job at American express in Manhattan within the same building as Geraldine and her then boyfriend Pat. Geraldine and Marion were also so close being only 18 months apart, that even after Geraldine got married Marion would go and sleep over at her sisters. That friendship stayed constant throughout their entire lives, living just a stones throw away up until the end. As sisters, they would share secrets and they continued to giggle about some of them 50, 60, 70 years later. Marion lived on Moreland Street, and after work she would come off the bus and this boy named Jack Shea, would serenade her from the window as she walked down the street. Marion was never one to make life easy for anyone so she made Jack work hard at dating her and even had to propose several times before she gave in. Marion was married in a beautiful satin dress and had the first sit down dinner in her family for her wedding. Having her mother's gypsy spirit Marion and Jack moved around often, and where Marion went trouble still followed. As the sisters did most of their big life events together, so was the birth of their first born girls JoAnn and Susan. Marion and Jack lived in Staten Island then next to the fire house, and baby Joann was not thrilled by the sounds of the fire trucks. So they moved again. Next to come along was Donna. As for the many personal storms, that Marion weathered this time it was a freak April snowstorm and Jacks car could not make it up the hill to the hospital. As Marion had always done, she took that big voice, curly hair and smile and talked the snow plow driver into taking her to the hospital. No one could say no to Marion. would celebrate another anniversary, knowing a little part of her helped them to get there. She also took on the role as a Nanny to Eric and the two built a life long relationship. He gave her the chance to enjoy some of the childhood things she missed out with her own. She was grateful that she had such forgiving children that saw the change she made in her life and moved forward as a family. Always excited to spend the holidays with them and having them visit her in Florida, taking a few cruises together. Her Son-in-laws were her great loves too. When Rich and Paul were dating Joann and Donna, Marion would have them over for Sunday dinner, and Jack would say "heartburn is coming for supper" When Tom came along to date her baby Jackie, she was going to give him the same business she gave Jack when they were dating. Some of her greatest joys were being a Grandmother to Richie and to be a part of his wedding to Amy and welcome their beautiful children to the family and to know Kristan graduated college and Her and Cody who she was proud of, gave her two great grandsons the newest who she was overjoyed to meet on her last visit to GA. Mary and her children were so dear to her. She enjoyed Paul and Shannon's wedding and was thrilled by their success and enjoyed their 2 sons and his sister Jessie and Duran's two children who she has got to see grow into nice youngsters. She was thrilled to see Robert and Lisa perform at Carnegie Hall and to see Rob go off to college. Ashton and Blake were down in Flordia with her and they had their own special relationship. Margie were already grown up and had families of their own. After the war ended and the boys came home, the summers were spent in Midland Beach in Staten Island. The kids Geraldine, Marion and Ed along with their cousins Ellen and John would walk barefoot to the beach and play there all day. In the evenings Her Mom and Dad along with Aunt Gertie, Uncle Jim and Aunt Lydia would be dancing under the tent while the kids rode all night on the amusement park rides on the boardwalk. After the youngest, Robert was born the family moved to Staten Island. Marion's curly hair and big smile could persuade anyone to do anything she wanted, she had saved up enough money to convince this man to sell her first bicycle and she rode that thing up and down the blocks from dawn till dusk. This gave her free spirit wheels. Marion found her new toy in her younger brother Robert, she had someone to play ball with all the time. Baseball, basketball any kind of ball. She became his coach and biggest fan and her and Geraldine attending all of his school games and when he became a Cadet they attended those games too. Had she been born in a different era and sports were offered to girls at that time, she could have found her niche. She was a tremendous athlete. Marion taught her brother Robert the famous hook shot, which helped his life long career in basketball and she never let him forget it. School still was not Marion's strong suit lets just say she had to visit many schools in her day. After graduating New Dorp High School in Staten Island, Next to come along after a few more moves was her daughter Jacqueline who she adored just like her older girls but Marion's personal battles were getting the best of her. When her son John was born there seem to light the fire under her to do better, but she didn't have the tools at that time. She moved her family again to a big house out in Brentwood. She wanted to give them a home with a pool and a place to play ball and hopefully finally a home they could stay in and not keep moving around place to place. That she accomplished there. She had moved her parents into an apartment in her home. In her good days and even in her bad days Marion would always open her home to anyone. Many holidays and summer parties were celebrated in that home. Marion was not one for rules but she was always a hard worker. Marion could never get away from those potatoes, as many years in the food industry standing on her feet and peeling pound after pound of potatoes but turning it into the best potatoes salad you ever had. After many tumultuous years, Marion finally found program, and that saved her life and gave her a second chance at being a good mother, sister and daughter. She would be the truth teller in your life weather you wanted to hear it or not, if you needed the truth that you were drinking too much and for the wrong reasons or you were in a bad situation, she would be your truth teller and help you find your right path. Marion helped countless women and men in her 40 plus years in program. Was always honored when someone with whom she helped She took great pride in how well all of her children turned out and had a special bond with each of them. She and John her son switched rolls as caretakers many times. Her free spirit would have her fly to wherever there was something good happening for her family, she knew she had missed out on so many things during her trouble days but did not want to miss out on what was important to her family now. She made the lives of her nieces and nephews as important to her as her own children, never missing a card or phone call on their birthdays or on their big occasions. She loved her in laws Jane and Pat like they were her own brother and sister. Marion's fighting spirit as a kid followed her into her adult life, she would argue with the people she care about but would never stay mad. More importantly, she would be your strongest advocate and always defended her family and friends. Her fighting spirit was how she made it through cancer 3 times and overcome her personal demons. She fought the fights worth fighting. Marion may have lost this battle but she did win the war, and went home to the Lord.