Obituary of Mary B. O'Shea
Mary Barbara O’Shea of Preston Hollow passed away peacefully with her loved ones by her side on Friday, May 21, 2021. Born on September 27, 1935 in Brooklyn, she was the daughter of the late Dr. & Mrs. Harold Comonfort Denman of Brooklyn and Salt Point, NY; a graduate of Notre Dame Academy, Staten Island, NY, and Newton College of the Sacred Heart, Newton Centre, Mass. (now, Boston College Law School) earning a B.A. in Spanish. Married in 1961, Mary & William (Bill) O’Shea raised two children, Amelia (“Amy”) and William Geoffrey (“Geoff”) in New Jersey. Mary was a secretary at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, and Richmond College, Staten Island, NY, before joining the U.S. Treasury Dept. as a U.S. Customs inspector at JFK International Airport, Queens, N.Y., and the World Trade Center in New York City. In 1976, Mary married Thomas D. McInerney, also a U.S. Customs inspector. They enjoyed spending winters at their condo in Long Boat Key, Fla. and the rest of the year at their mountaintop home in Broome Center. Mary loved all animals, especially horses; she was a lifelong equestrienne who found great joy in riding and caring for her horses. She also enjoyed gardening, fine arts, museums and local history. She was a volunteer docent at Olana State Historic site, Hudson, NY, the home of Hudson River artist, Frederic Church; and at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota, Fla.
Mary is survived by her daughter, Amelia O’Shea, Freehold, NY; her son, Geoff (Shirley) O’Shea, her grandson, Jeremy O’Shea, Oneonta, NY; and her brother, Peter (Sandrina) Denman, Wintergreen, Va. She was predeceased by her husband, William, second husband, Thomas, and her brother, Harold C. Denman, Jr. A special thank you to the members of the Town of Broome Volunteer Fire Dept. for their assistance with Mary and Thomas these past several years.
Calling hours will be at A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home, 4898 State Route 81, Greenville, on Friday, June 4th from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., and on Saturday, June 5th from 2 to 6 p.m. No services will take place on Sunday. Funeral Mass will be offered on Monday, June 7th at 11 a.m. in St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church, 5188 State Route 23, Windham. Burial will be in the Potter Hollow Rural Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Mary Barbara’s name to the, Town of Broome Volunteer Fire Department, 108 Mattice Rd., Middleburgh, NY 12122; or the local history non-profit, Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway, 1 E. Industrial Pkwy., Troy, NY 12180-5942. Condolence page is available at ajcunninghamfh.com.