Daniel J. Shea

Daniel J. Shea, Willimantic, was born October 22, 1931.  He was the beloved husband of Margaret (Toth) Shea and son of the late William and Geraldine (Wallace) Shea.  He was educated in Waterbury schools and was a graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, with a Bachelors in English and Social Studies.  Prior to attending Southern, he served in the U.S. Navy for five years as an Electrician’s Mate and was stationed in the Pacific arena.

Daniel J. Shea married Margaret Toth in Bristol, CT in 1956 and in 1957, they became parents of twin boys, Daniel and Joseph Shea.

Dan and his family enjoyed traveling and living in the western United States before returning to Connecticut where he taught at schools in Windham and Tolland.  He was an active member of the Tolland Teachers’ Union, where he helped negotiate renewal contracts.  He also coached baseball, softball and basketball at the local high school level.  Dan most recently had been the head softball coach at Tolland, Manchester, and Parish Hill high schools where he led the teams to winning seasons, and for Tolland, several league championships.  He was also a Red Sox and Patriots fan, and his last days were spent watching the Red Sox have a record regular season.

Besides his wife and sons, Dan also leaves behind his daughters-in-law, Daniel’s wife Molly Palmer and Joseph’s wife, Cheryl Le Beau, as well as his two grandchildren, Patricia and Derek Shea.  Patricia is a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island who teaches under graduate classes in Communications, and Derek is a sophomore at Wells College, where he is a starting pitcher on the school’s baseball team.  Dan loved all the members of his family, and they will miss him very much.

Daniel Shea was pre-deceased by his parents and his siblings, brothers William, David, Joseph, James, and sisters Mary, Geraldine, and Sheila.

Daniel’s family will receive friends and relatives on Monday, October 1, 2018 from 10:00am to 12:00PM at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St., in Willimantic. Followed by a Graveside Service at St. Joseph Cemetery.

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