Obituary of John L. Shanahan

JOHN LAWRENCE SHANAHAN GENEVA- John L. Shanahan, 77, went home to be with the Lord on December 9, 2015 at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. A funeral Mass and celebration of his life will be held at 10 a.m. Sat. (May 28), at St. Stephen's Catholic Church. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery. Donations in his memory may be made to Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes Community Lunch Program 94 Exchange St., Geneva 14456, or Our Lady of Peace Parish, 130 Exchange St., Geneva 14456. John was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on July 8, 1938 to John and Eleanor Shanahan (Reilly). He was a 1960 graduate of St. John's University and then went into the Army for six months active duty and six years monthly meetings. He was employed by North American Reassurance (Swiss Re) in New York City from 1961 to 1997 and retired as Senior Vice President in 1997. He and his wife of 54 years, Margit (Marge), retired to Geneva in 1997 where they spent these many happy years enjoying life in the Finger Lakes and volunteering in the community. John was President of the Board of Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes, active for 10 years daily at the Community Lunch Program, picked up bread donations weekly for the Lunch Program from Freihofers on Tuesdays with his friends for the past seven years and sang in the choir at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church. He was a member of a Small Christian Community in Our Lady of Peace since moving to Geneva enjoyed the weekly companionship in prayer of John and Marie Milligan, Mike and MaryKay Bolan, John and Linda Tate, Ed and Joyce Dailor, and Giovina Caroscio who all became his extended family and close friends. He enjoyed playing golf and never tired of completing any crossword puzzle he could find. His greatest joy were visits with his grandchildren. He was greatly loved and will be missed by his wife and children Christine (Courtenay), Mark (Lisa), Raymond (Kristen), Elizabeth (Colin) and Luke, and grandchildren Matthew, Scott, Aedan, Emilie, Lila, Alexis and Crystal, nephews and niece Maureen, James, Larry and Ed of Long Island. The family wishes to thank the many people in the Geneva community who have prayed and sent wishes these many months. Most heartfelt thanks from the family go to the outstanding staff and the loving care provided John in the many ICU units at Strong Memorial Hospital in his more than four months in their care, especially Respiratory Unit 834 at the end.