Obituary: John Shea

The following is from Joyce Funeral Home.

Mr. John L. Shea, formerly a longtime resident of Waltham, died on Sunday, March 2, 2014 in Boston Medical Center after a long illness. He was 73. Mr. Shea was born in Belmont on April 17, 1940, a son of the late John and Mildred (Maguire) Shea.

John graduated from Belmont High School and worked as a security guard. He is survived by his wife, Sonia A. (Kulish) Shea. John and Sonia enjoyed traveling, taking frequent vacations in Maine and driving trips to California, Florida, as well as Mexico and Canada. They also enjoyed gardening and reading at their Waltham home.

In recent years, John was treated at Radius Hospital, a long-term facility in Boston. While confined to the hospital due to his physical condition, John maintained his zest for life and positive outlook, which both inspired and amazed the hospital staff. While at Radius, John enjoyed visits from Sonia, during which they would pore over photo albums chronicling their many happy driving trips and family gatherings. John also rediscovered his love of reading with family members and hospital staff trying to keep up with his insatiable appetite for information by supplying him with enough books to fill a small library.

In addition to his wife, John is survived by his sister, Anne Oliveri, and her husband Andrew, of Needham; his nephews, Andrew and Adam Oliveri, and Sonia's many cousins from the Samoluk family. He was the son-in-law of the late Sonia Kulish.

Family and friends will honor and remember John's life by gathering to visit at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 6, in the Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main St. (Route 20), Waltham, where his funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Saint Joseph's Cemetery, West Roxbury.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Lung Association, 460 Totten Pond, #400, Waltham, MA 02451.