James P. Shea

He was born to Michael and Mary (Griffin) Shea in South Buffalo on February 20, 1936, and was the younger brother of the late Thomas Shea. He attended Holy Family School and Bishop Timon High School, graduating in 1951. At Canisius College, Shea played on the Golden Griffins basketball team from 1956 to 1958, helping the Griffs reach the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 1956. His basketball career is immortalized by the iconic 1958 picture of the Canisius-West Virginia game featuring Jerry West (See photo below, Shea #31).

He then studied law at the University at Buffalo, while working nights as a Buffalo firefighter. His relationship with the Buffalo Fire Department continued for years to come as legal counsel for the department's beneficiary association and credit union. Shea was admitted to the New York bar in 1963, beginning his law career as an assistant district attorney, serving on staff with good friend Bill Carey and the late James Molloy who would later become the Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives from 1973 to 1995.

He established the firm Flaherty & Shea with his great friends, the late Thomas and Michael Flaherty. In 1970, Shea advocated successfully for railroad workers of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad in front of the Supreme Court of the United States with an overwhelming ruling in the plantiffs' favor. He worked as an attorney for 60 years, until his retirement in 2023.

Shea’s professional life is only eclipsed by his full family life. He was married to his wife Mary (O’Mara) Shea for 65 years, a relationship strengthened by a mutual love of horse-racing with frequent visits to Saratoga and Fort Erie racetracks. They raised 11 lucky children: Kate (Tim) Kennon, Mary Molly, Elizabeth (Edward) Sisk, James (Adele), Brendan (Elaudy), Clare, Daniel, John, Therese (Mark) Harasymiw, Patrick (Sarah), and Kevin (Michelle). “Papa Jim” will also be greatly missed by 32 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. A true Irish quiet man of few words, he was wise, funny, and kind, and his family and friends loved being in his orbit.

Shea was an avid golfer and was a charter member of Crag Burn Golf Club, where he could often be found on Saturday afternoons with his children.

In addition to his law work, Shea served as an attorney for the Buffalo Fire Department Beneficiary Association and was on the boards of the Buffalo Fire Department Federal Credit Union and Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School. He was a long-time volunteer driver for the Catholic Guild for the Blind and, until recently, delivered a weekly route for Meals on Wheels in the Northtowns.

No prior visitation. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at Our Lady of Charity Parish - Holy Family Worship Site, 1901 South Park Ave., Buffalo, NY 14220 on Saturday (November 9, 2024) at 11am. Please assemble at church. Interment Holy Cross Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, Shea requested that any donations be made to Sloan Comfort Care Home, a local not-for-profit end-of-life care home, or his alma mater, Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School.