James E. Shea

James “Jim” Shea

May 30, 1944 – April 18, 2026

Hudson, MA & Orleans, MA

It is with the most profound sadness that we announce the passing of James “Jim” Shea on April 18, 2025, at UMass Memorial Hospital due to complications from a stroke. He was 81 years old. Arrangements are incomplete at this time.

A devoted family man, Jim will be remembered and missed by his wife of 56 years, Linda (Wickeri) Shea of Hudson, whom he married on July 4th, so that he could never forget their anniversary. He is also survived by his daughter Kerin Shea of Hudson, grandchildren Symphony Shea of Lawrence, Sonnet Shea of Framingham, and Dunnivan Shea of Hopkinton, daughter-in-law Teri Shea of Framingham, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Jeff and Jackie Wickeri of Poughkeepsie, NY, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. Jim will also be mourned by many dear friends of all ages in both Hudson and Cape Cod, as well as everywhere in between. He was predeceased by his two sons, Jamie C. Shea (Framingham) and Devin G. Shea (Hudson), as well as his siblings Madeline A. Shea (Worcester), Judith M. Fogarty (Holden) and Arthur D. Shea (Marblehead).

Born in Worcester on May 30, 1944 to parents Maguerite M. (Donahue) and Arthur F. Shea, Jim graduated from South High School in Worcester in 1962. He went on to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he majored in electrical engineering, graduating in 1967. There, he was a member of Theta Chi fraternity and in the Naval Reserves. He joined the Navy after graduation, serving honorably aboard the USS Chukawan (AO-100), replenishing fuel, dry goods and delivering mail to other vessels at sea. His commanding officer noted, “He gets along with shipmates, and contributes more to division morale than any other single individual. He is a credit to the ship and the Navy.” This was a far cry from his Kindergarten report card which read, “Jimmy has trouble following directions.” After returning from service, Jim went on to earn his Master of Business Administration from Clark University.

Jim worked as an electrical engineer for Decitek and Jamesbury Corporation before moving on to Raytheon Company. Notable projects he worked on at Raytheon included the FAA’s new ground-based, digital display air traffic control system, the guidance system for the Patriot Missile, the Video Display Terminal for The Washington Post (the largest of its kind at the time, designed to replace manual typesetting with digital editing and instant access to article storage), and a pioneering computerized Energy Management System, allowing universities and large institutions to monitor and adjust HVAC controls across entire campuses from one central location.

Always on the road for work, Jim quit Raytheon to spend more time with his family. He and Linda opened the family business, Rotary Antiques, in 1981. Located in downtown Hudson, there they worked together and alongside their three children for 15 years. Jim was also the proprietor of A Good Time Auction House, another family business which held monthly auctions at the Hudson Elks. He wore many hats throughout his career path, working at Hudson Catholic High School, Littleton Millwork, RR Donnelley, Tighe Hamilton and Home Depot, in addition to being everyone’s favorite handyman.

Jim was a civic leader, serving on Hudson’s Economic Development Committee and Conservation Commission. Over the years, he was a member of the Hudson Independent Order of Odd Fellows #77, Hudson Elks #959, Hudson Amvets #208, as well as Farmers & Friends of Agriculture.

Jim was a voracious reader of non-fiction. From historical biographies to 40-year-old issues of Popular Mechanics, there was nothing he wouldn’t devour, and no trivia question he couldn't answer. He could build or fix anything. No car was ever taken to a mechanic, and the repair of something — a lamp, a clock, a chainsaw — was a constant in the living room. He once made a Tesla coil out of his mother’s bundt pans for his sixth-grade science fair, proceeding to zap everyone in the gymnasium. He built his own Heathkit TV, a GI Bill benefit he received after the service. At one point, it seemed he had spare keys to every building in Hudson, always at the ready to fix something for somebody. He loved woodworking and refinishing furniture. He collected power tools the way kids collect baseball cards. He helped his daughter refinish her 1959 mahogany motorboat, even getting the original 1959 motor up and running. He made his own stained-glass panels for his living room, kitchen cabinets and bathroom pendant lights, as well as for numerous china cabinets in the antique shop.

Jim loved boating and fishing with his sons, both saltwater and freshwater. You never saw Jim without his Greek fisherman’s cap. A pole was always in his car, ready to stop for a few quick casts wherever he went. He loved spending time in Orleans, Cape Cod, clamming and quahogging, and was known for his chowder and baked stuffed quahogs, recipes he passed on to his children.

Jim loved spending time with friends and family, with many of his children’s friends even calling him Dad. He was the smartest man you will ever meet, always willing to help everyone, and with the exact tool you just happened to need at that very moment in his jacket pocket. However you knew him — as Handsome Jim, Captain Jim, Uncle Jimbo, Jimmy, Santa, Dad or Grampy — Jim left an enduring impact. He will be deeply missed by all whose lives he touched.