Deacon William F. Shire Jr.

Deacon William F. Shire Jr., of Levittown, died on Thursday, January 5, 2012 at Aria Hospital Torresdale Campus surrounded by his loving family and friends at the age of 70. Born in Bristol, Deacon Shire was a life long resident of Lower Bucks County. He was a 1959 graduate of Bristol High School and a 1964 graduate of Rider University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. Mr. Shire began his career with Bemis, Inc. in Flemington, NJ then went on to work as regional manager for Conductive Containers based in Minneapolis, MN and Sealed Air based in St. Louis, MO. Deacon Shire was a former member of St. Mark parish. He has been a devoted member of St. Michael the Archangel parish for the past 42 years and was ultimately ordained a Deacon in May of 2008. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus St. Michael the Archangel Council #14626. He was a former member of the Levittown Lions and in his youth was a member of the Bracken Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. Deacon Shire was the son of the late William, Sr. and Rose Shire. He was the loving husband of Margaret Shire (nee Zanni) for 47 years. He was the loving father of William F. Shire III and his wife Jeanine of Langhorne and Patricia A. Armstrong and her husband James of North Brunswick, NJ. He was the devoted grandfather of Olivia, Robert and Philip. He was the loving and devoted son-in-law of Anthony and Edith Zanni. He will also be missed by his sisters Rosemary and her husband Art Seagraves and Margaret and her husband Michael Scenna all of Bristol, brother-in-law John and his wife Lillie Zanni of Levittown, sister-in-law Carlotta and her husband William Monach of Yardley and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Deacon Shire's family wishes to extend deepest gratitude to Fr. Michael DiIorio, Deacon and Mrs. Harry Simpson, the entire Diaconate community, Rosemary Mills RN and the nursing staff in the heart intensive care unit at Aria Health Torresdale. Family and friends are invited to call on Wednesday from 6:00 until 9:00 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 until 10:00 a.m. at St. Michael the Archangel Church, 66 Levittown Parkway, Levittown where his funeral mass will be celebrated on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Rite of Committal will follow in Our Lady of Grace Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Michael the Archangel Church at the above address.