John J. Shay

John J. Shay, 90, a longtime resident of Hampden, passed away late Thursday evening, June 24, 2021 in the comfort of his home. He was born on April 3, 1931 in Beverly, MA, the son of the late John J. and Mary (Kelley) Shay.  He was a graduate of St. John’s Prep in Danvers and received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Northeastern University and an MBA from American International College.   John began his career at Goodyear in Akron, Ohio, and later enlisted in the U.S. Army. More recently, John retired after many years with the former Monsanto Company.  John was an Eagle Scout and one of the original thirteen Francis Ouimet Caddy Scholarship recipients.  He served in the Peace Corps in Malaysia from 1963 to 1965, was an avid golfer and a longtime member of the YMCA, a member of the Hampden Lions Club, and served on the Boards of the Mass Lions Eye Research Fund and the Greater Springfield Senior Services, Inc. He also volunteered with Mustard Seed Communities in Jamaica.  He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Lynn (Dawson) Shay of Hampden; and two sons, John J. Shay and his wife Cathleen of Bethlehem Township, PA, and Lawrence D. Shay and his wife Amy of Westwood, MA; his sister, Mary Burke and her husband Charles of Peabody, MA; two brothers, Daniel Shay and his wife Judith of East  Orleans, MA, and William Shay of Beverly, MA; and five grandchildren, John, Nathaniel and Zachary of PA and Molly and Nicholas of MA.  Besides his parents, John was predeceased by his brother David Shay.  A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, June 29 meeting directly at 11:00 AM at St. Mary’s Church, 27 Somers Road, with burial to follow at Prospect Hill Cemetery, both in Hampden. Calling hours will be held on Mon, June 28th from 5-7 PM at the Byron Keenan Funeral Home & Cremation Tribute Center, 1858 Allen St., in Springfield. Memorial contributions may be made to any of the above charities or the charity of your choice. For additional information please visit www.byronkeenan.com