Mary C. “Connie” Shay, 87, longtime resident of Framingham, Southborough and Hyannis Port, died at home surrounded by her family and her pets after a brief illness. She was the beloved wife of the late Joseph F. Shay with whom she shared 60 years of marriage.
Connie was born in Newton, Massachusetts, the only daughter of the late Kenneth and Florence Hanna. She is survived by her children: Timothy D. Shay (Jennifer) of Northborough, James P. Shay (Monica) of Hyannis Port, Shannon Shay Hayden (Drew) of Hyannis Port, and Joseph F. Shay, Jr. (Lauren) of Southborough. She was predeceased by her son Michael J. Shay and her brothers, Mark, Richard, Michael and Timothy. Connie leaves her sister in-law Mary T. Shay, many nieces and nephews, and grandchildren: Samantha, Erica, Patrick, Carly (John), Timothy (Kelly), Shay, Hunter, Andrew, Tiger, India, Francesca, Sophia, Joseph and Joseph III.
In the early part of her childhood, Connie’s family lived in Natick, and later lived in Framingham. Her parents, both from modest backgrounds, were self-taught restaurateurs, transforming a 12 seat diner into a premier dining establishment designed to host up to 500 guests they called Ken’s Steak House. Connie and her brothers were fortunate to be raised with opportunities for travel, fun, comfort and many pets. She attended Framingham schools and graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Brookline. Connie had a taste for beautiful things, something she inherited from her mother.
Connie’s best friend was her late husband, Joe. They began dating when she was a teenager, they married weeks before her 20th birthday. Together, they raised five children and created a life full of great memories together.
Connie took up skiing shortly after the birth of her fifth child. Most Wednesdays, Connie would go skiing with her great pals Kim and Terri. Her kids knew better than to be sick from school on a Wednesday during ski season! At 82 she hung up her skis, a day she often described as one of the most difficult days in her life. Her adult children still won’t be sick on a Wednesday!
Connie led a magical life. She traveled the world with Joe, her kids. grandkids and many friends. She was funny, blunt, smart and tough. She loved to read. She exercised at the gym before it was really acceptable for women to do so. She loved dinners out, shopping (in all forms), fast cars and big boats.
Connie will be greatly missed.
Family and friends are invited to attend private visiting hours in her home on Tuesday, January 20th from 4pm-7pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, January 21st at 10:00 a.m. in St. Bridget’s Church, 830 Worcester Rd., (Rte 9 Eastbound) Framingham Centre. Burial will follow in St. Stephen’s Cemetery, Fenwick St., Framingham.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial gifts be made to either: The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, https://www.holeinthewallgang.org/, or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, https://www.stjude.org/.
To share a memory with the Shay Family, kindly visit: www.nortonfuneralhome.com
McCarthy, McKinney & Lawler Funeral Home