Michael William Shea, age 59, of Jefferson City, Mo., passed away Saturday, December 17, 2022, at home surrounded by his family. Mike will be remembered as a man of deep, lifelong faith in God who lived every day to the fullest.
Mike was born April 13, 1963 in Kansas City, Mo., the son of James “Vick” and June Eileen (LaBonte) Shea.
Overland Park, Ks., was Mike’s childhood home. Graduating from Shawnee Mission West High School in 1981, he continued formal education at Johnson County Community College and his beloved University of Kansas. He earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from KU. Later in his career he crossed team lines and earned a second Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
As an undergraduate at KU, Mike met Lynne Ann Letkowski. Their first encounter was on a sidewalk outside of Kelly’s Bar in Westport and quickly their relationship blossomed into a lifelong love. They were married on June 11, 1988 in Gladstone, Mo. and blessed with three children.
Mike was employed as an engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation for 29 years. He began at District 4 in Kansas City, moved to District 7 in Joplin and lastly transitioned to headquarters in Jefferson City. Throughout his career, Mike held several positions at MoDOT. One of his favorite assignments was leading the MoDOT team response at the State Emergency Operations Center during winter storms. Following retirement in 2021, Mike continued to learn and develop new interests through volunteering, substitute teaching and construction work. He took on any task large or small with his legendary energy and positive attitude
Mike never strayed from his faith in God. He described his faith as childlike: a pure, deep and complete faith in God. During adolescence, Mike rode his bike daily to serve 6:30 a.m. Mass. This commitment to serve was with him through his adult life. Mike was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church where he often would attend daily Mass and serve as a Lector and Hospitality Minister. He lived out his faith daily through his servant’s heart and humble nature. He truly met people where they were in life and never judged, always looking to help.
Mike’s passion for life also was evident as he ran along Seven Hills Road. Mike enjoyed many Saturday morning runs and coffees with the “Java Joggers” group. This past June he completed Grandma’s Marathon along the north shore of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota, which he ran with Lynne and several of the Java Joggers. He proudly completed many half-marathons and a total of four marathons in Duluth, Memphis, Little Rock and Kansas City.
In addition to running, he supported his children’s love of sports. He coached any sport at any age as each child explored their passion. Some of the family’s fondest memories of Mike are his years spent cheering on his children at Helias Wrestling and cross-country/track meets at Helias and Southeast Missouri State University. Mike’s energy and passion could be heard at any event. He also was a zealous collegiate and professional sports fan, always cheering for the KU Jayhawks, Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. He would listen to Sports Radio 810 daily regardless the quality of reception to the chagrin of family and fellow passengers.
Traveling also is part of the Shea family history. The family enjoyed trips to different beaches and mountains. Vacations were another opportunity to enjoy the outdoors by hiking, skiing or swimming. Since Mike’s retirement, he and Lynne enjoyed numerous trips; hiking in the National Parks was their favorite. In February of this year they traveled to Europe and in September traveled through Canada and Wyoming hiking more than 125 miles during their three week adventure.
Survivors include: his wife of 34 years, Lynne Shea; three children, Nicholas “Nic” Shea of Chapel Hill, Nc., Logan Shea of Ashland, Mo. and Kaitlyn Shea of Jefferson City, Mo.; three siblings, Mary King (husband Bob) of Overland Park, Ks., Kathy Shea of Overland Park, Ks., and Jim Shea (wife Barbara) of Fort Worth, Tx.; his in-laws, Stan and Jan Letkowski of Kansas City, Mo., sister-in-law, Leslie Porth (husband John) of Durham, Nc., and brother-in-law, Brett Letkowski (wife Karen) of Wichita, Ks.; and 11 nieces and nephews.
Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Vick and June Shea, and his aunt, Ann Hennessey and her husband Pat.
A Rosary service will be held at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at Freeman Mortuary with Mike’s visitation following from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, December 22, 2022 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church with the Reverend Matthew Flatley officiating. Graveside services and interment will be held at Resurrection Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Immaculate Conception Catholic School or Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research by mailing all donations to PO Box 95, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102.
Funeral arrangements are under the care of Freeman Mortuary, 915 Madison St, Jefferson City, MO 65101.