John Francis Shay, Jr., Esq., 61, of Dunkirk, MD, passed away on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, after bravely battling cancer for three years.
He was born on May 17, 1956, in Newburgh, NY, to Dr. John Francis Shay and Margretta (Hamill) Shay. He grew up in Suitland, MD. He was married to Margaret “Margie” Lennon on November 11, 1983, in Massapequa, NY.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Mount Saint Mary’s University in 1978, and his juris doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law in 1981. He served as Associate County Attorney for Prince George’s County, MD for two years before joining the law firm of Knight, Manzi, Brennan & Ostrom. John became a partner in that firm in 1989 and continued practicing there until August, 2011, when he joined Brennan, McKenna, Manzi & Shay.
He was the attorney for many municipalities, including North Beach for over 25 years, Laurel, Greenbelt and Berwyn Heights. He was extremely passionate about serving the community. He was very active in his church, The Covenant Community of Jesus the Good Shepherd, serving on many boards and committees over the years. He was also a long-time member and past president of the Upper Marlboro Chapter of Rotary International, where he headed the Young Americans Scholarship Program for over 20 years. He served on the Calvert County Hospice Board, including as president, and was an integral part of establishing the Burnett Calvert Hospice House in Prince Frederick, MD.
He enjoyed spending time with his family, entertaining everyone with his wicked sense of humor, and enthusiastically cheering for all his favorite sports teams.
He is survived by his wife Margie, his four daughters – Courtney LaFreniere (Timothy), Caitlin Miller (Kris), Jenna Shay and Emma Shay. He was the grandfather of granddaughter Margretta LaFreniere and granddaughter-to-be Madeline LaFreniere. He was the brother of Maeve Ostrowski (John), Diane Fischl-Swift (John Swift), Ellen Roumasset (John), Isabel Milazzo (Matteo) and Christopher Shay.
