Kathleen (“Kay”) M. Shea

Born on June 18, 1936 in Bayonne, NJ, she was the eldest child of Irish immigrants, Patrick and Della (Higgins) McCauley. Her parents and brother, Father William McCauley, preceded her death. 

Kay and her husband, Frank, who passed away in 1986, were married in 1959 and raised their family in Phillipsburg, NJ, where they were long-standing members of Sts. Philip and James Catholic Church.  

Kay worked in the Art History Department at Lafayette College (Easton, PA) and later was Vice President of Public Relations and Development at Warren Hospital (Phillipsburg, NJ) for 27 years until her retirement in 2007.  She was active in the Phillipsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, the Warren County Economic Advisory Council, the New Jersey Hospital Association, the Garden State Arts Foundation and the Lopatcong and Phillipsburg Catholic High School PTAs, among a number of other organizations.  

An avid traveler and voracious reader, Kay was able to visit and learn about many parts of the world. But her real joy was spending time with her family, in particular her five granddaughters, who she loved and doted on as only a grandmother can.  

Kay is survived by her children Kevin and Noelle, daughter-in-law, Susan Shea, five granddaughters – Meaghan Shea, Brighid Shea, Muriel Shea, Olivia McCarthy and Cate McCarthy – sisters Eileen Park and Elizabeth O’Hagen, brother-in-law, Len Park, many nieces and nephews, and an extraordinary set of good friends.  

A Catholic Mass to celebrate Kay’s life will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, September 5, 2020, at Sts. Philip and James Catholic Church, 430 South Main St., Phillipsburg, NJ 08865. Mass will be preceded by visitation at the Church, between the hours of 10 and 11 AM. The interment will be at Sts. Philip and James Cemetery in Greenwich Township, N.J.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Kay’s memory to either: Moravian Village of Bethlehem (memo line – “Health Care Center Fund”) 561 E. Market St.-Business Office Bethlehem, PA  18018 or to the St. Luke's Warren Hospital Auxiliary, 185 Roseberry Street, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865