Obituary of Geraldine Shanley

Geraldine L. Shanley, age 81, died peacefully at home in Pittstown, New York on Sunday-May 28, 2017. She was born on February 5, 1936 in Evanston, Illinois the daughter of Benjamin Howard Larrabee and Geraldine Loveland Berg. Dinnie, as she was known to her family, friends and associates, was the beloved wife of Kevin Shanley for over thirty years. She had formerly been the wife of James J. Mc Grath-Captain-U.S. Navy. In her role as the wife of a naval officer, Dinnie lived in many places including San Diego, Washington, Hawaii, New Port, Rhode Island and Greenwich, England. While living in San Diego, she studied American Literature at La Verne College. Since her marriage to me on August 31, 1986 in Pittstown, New York, Dinnie has devoted most of her professional and personal life to the noble, and much needed work, of feeding and caring for the hungry. She was a long-term employee of the Regional Food Bank in Latham, New York where she held the Position of Membership Coordinator and Inspector of Food Pantries covering twenty-three counties in New York State. After retiring from the Regional Food Bank, she was an enthusiastic volunteer for the Food Pantries of the Capital District. For her efforts on behalf of the hungry, Dinnie was recently given a certificate of recognition by U.S. Representative-Paul Tonko and New York State Senator-Neil Breslin. Dinnie also had a keen interest in music, both classical and contemporary, and art. This was shown by her membership and supponl: of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the Tanglewood Music Hall in Lenox, Massachusetts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Classical Music Station WMHT. Her extensive contributions to charity included the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Society, the Sloane Kettering Cancer Research Institute, Disabled Veterans of America, Colonial Williamsburg, the National Historical Preservation Society, and the Smithsorian Institute in Washington, D.C. Dinnie was also a fanatical Boston Red-Sox Fan an enthusiasm which was not shared by her husband who rooted for the New York Yankees, Boston’s Arch Rival. She also had a keen interest in cooking and loved to knit with three different knitting groups in the area.
In addition to her husband Kevin, she is survived by her sister, Genevieve Grewell and her husband Gary Grewell, Seattle, Washington, sons, Benjamin Mc Grath, Jeffrey J. Mc Grath and his partner, Kate Fries, her daughter in law, Susan Skala, all residing in San Diego and her grand-daughter, Emily A. Lobos, living in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Relatives and friends are invited and may call on Friday June 2nd from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the John J. Sanvidge Funeral Home, 565 Fourth Ave. Troy.
In lieu of flowers and in line with Dinnie’s compassion for the hungry, kindly make a contribution to the Food Pantries for the Capital District, 32 Essex Street, Albany, N.Y. 12206 or the Regional Food Bank, 965 Albany Shaker Road, Latham, N.Y. 12110