Hockessin - Mary A. Shea, 93, of Hockessin, passed away peacefully on July 13, with family at her side. She was married for 71 years to the late Jeremiah P. Shea, and was the daughter of Albert and Marie (Quinn) Robinson and the sister of the late George and Albert Robinson. Born 1927 in Philadelphia she attended West Catholic High School for Girls, and while in high school she met the love of her life, Jerry Shea. During WWII, she worked for the J. G. Brill streetcar manufacturer while Jerry served in the Navy, and they married in 1948. They moved from Philadelphia to Wilmington DE, where they raised seven children as Jerry's career in banking flourished. They summered in Cape May NJ, and eventually retired to Cokesbury Village in Hockessin where they spent the last years of their lives together. While both Mom and Dad had big jobs, Mom's was 24/7, and so was her energy. Taking care of seven children, she was always on the go and kept us on our toes. It was a busy house, but she always had time for friends, neighbors and Jerry's business activities. Mom was well known in business and community circles, as Jerry's vivacious "better half". Mom was a volunteer and a Junior board member at St. Francis Hospital for many years. She also quietly gave her time and support to church and community activities, including Girl Scouts and St. Mary Magdalen. As the kids' needs waned, she turned her energy towards social sports, playing golf for years, and later becoming an avid bowler. Mom and Dad were active in many cultural and charitable activities around Wilmington. They also enjoyed travel around North America, sometimes taking the kids to the Rockies, or Canada, or Florida, pulling a camping trailer. Later they travelled with friends to Alaska, Ireland, and other European destinations. The extended family in Ireland soon became part of a "Shea family exchange program" that continues to this day with thanks to Mom's encouragement. Mom was famous for many things, but most remarkable was her ability to pull together meals for crowds, often being surprised by last-minute guests without flinching or falling short. She made the house welcoming to anyone who entered, and made sure everyone was happy and well fed. The Shea house was a draw for friends from all quarters, and eventually the beach house in Cape May became everyone's summer destination. This was Mom's favorite place in the world, and she made sure everyone made time to visit, sometimes slyly inviting two families for the same week in an effort to enhance the "bonding" effect (which we all appreciated after the initial shock). Mary was the beloved mother of Mary Dill (John), Jerry (Nancy), Kathleen Feigenbaum (Alan), Michael (Maura), John (Lynn), Timothy (Diane), and Daniel (MaryAnn). Mary was also grandmother to Sean, Patrick and Caitlyn (Katie) Dill; Sarah, Neil and Grace Shea; Scott, Keith and Peter Feigenbaum; Meg, Chris, Liam, Kathleen, Bridget, Mary and Connell Shea; Jack, Pat and Maggie Shea; James, Ben and Annie Shea; and Ryan, Conor and Kelly Shea. She was also the loving great-grandmother of 11 and counting. Mary was close with sisters-in-law Margaret, Barney and Rosemary, and she was cherished by her many nieces and nephews. As "Mom-Mom", she adored watching her own grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up, eagerly attending their milestone events whenever possible. Mom's final years became a battle with dementia, which stole her away from us too soon. Despite the difficulties that imposed, she maintained her composure and her unmistakable personality, showing great strength and wit to the end, with glimpses of her heartfelt love for each and every one of us. More than once, when her caretakers were seeing signs of declining health, she fought back in defiance and rewarded us all with more chances to share our love, and to say goodbye. Our visits gave us the chance to return the unbounded love and affection she shared for a lifetime, and remind us to carry the same loving attitudes forward in our lives. We're comforted to know that Mom and Dad are finally back together again, with no impediments, and propelled with our love on their eternal journey. Our family is very grateful to the warm and loving staff at Cokesbury and at Home Instead Senior Care for their patience and good humor in caring for Mary and Jerry over the last few years. The family would also like to commend the Cokesbury team for their diligence and sacrifice in protecting Mary and her neighbors from the virus during this pandemic. They've done an amazing job in keeping the virus at bay and we are ever thankful. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Saint Francis Hospital. 701 N Clayton Street Wilmington, DE 19805.