Dennis William Shea

Dennis went to his heavenly home on January 3, 2024. He was a World War Two veteran, entering the US Navy in the war’s last year at the age of 17 and served on the NTS Great Lakes, IL, USS Lyman, USS Bexar, Service School for Engineers, Great Lakes, IL, NTRA school in Richmond, VA. He was a Fireman First Class. He received a Victory Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Area Campaign Medal, and the American ABE Campaign Medal with the clever help of his youngest daughter Bridget.

Denny worked at Dana Corp his entire career as a mechanical engineer. Cars were important to him and of great interest. He measured time by what car he owned! Denny’s oldest son, Patrick, became an excellent mechanic, and Dennis was always proud of his son’s achievement in that field. Recently, his son Mike purchased a restored Ford Model A car. Dad super enjoyed riding in it with Mike on several occasions. When his children were growing up, Denny liked going on fishing trips with friends, playing handball, playing bridge with his wife Joan, bowling, and hunting.

Denny, as most of his friends and family called him, was an avid golfer up until just a couple of years ago. To say he enjoyed every aspect of the game is an understatement. He practiced his swing in various rooms of the house, much to Joan’s chagrin at times. In the last few years, he enjoyed playing golf with his daughter, Bridget. He was proud of her abilities on the links and of all her achievements working in various jobs and running her own business. Denny also enjoyed watching football, especially close games.

He loved music a lot and would often listen to music on his Walkman and CDs and, more recently, listen to music on the internet. He loved Dixieland band jazz and especially loved jazz played on the piano. Denny played the trumpet from his youth, and up until some years ago, you could always hear him playing “Aud Lang Syne” on his trumpet outdoors at midnight on New Year’s Eve! He and his oldest daughter Kathleen often played Christmas songs together each Christmas – piano and trumpet.

Denny loved to write and often wrote letters to the Blade Editor, expressing his views on this and that. I’m sure many of those reading this have read a limerick written by Denny to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or some other celebratory event. He was an avid reader, too, especially of history. In his later years, he enjoyed reading the Bible and other spiritual books.

He certainly was a man of many talents and interests, always willing to learn something new, talk to people, and learn from them something he didn’t previously know. Denny believed in God and was a faithful contributor and attendee at Christ the King Church. He was preceded by his beloved wife of over 60 years, Joan (in 2020), his only sister, MaryAnn (also aged 97 at her passing), his son-in-law, Marco Oliveri (married to Bridget), and both his parents and other relatives. His children survive him: Patrick, Kathleen - married to Tom Starks, Michael, Bridget, and many nieces and nephews.

We shall miss his keen sense of humor, his smile, his conversation, and him as a person!

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Friday, January 12, 2024, at Gesu Catholic Church, 2049 Parkside Blvd, Toledo, with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery.

Contributions in his name are suggested to Christ the King Catholic Church.