Barry Michael Shea

Barry Michael Shea, 91, passed away peacefully in Newport on October 25, 2026.

Barry was born in Newport on August 24, 1935, the son of James Francis Shea and Mary (Johnson) Shea, and younger brother to Terence J. Shea, who preceded him in death in 2021.

Barry's entire life was focused on his love of nearby Newport: its history, its traditions, its harbors and magnificent beaches, its people from every walk of life and its conspicuous proximity to two treasured sports teams-the Boston Celtics and the Boston Red Sox.

Barry attended Cranston-Calvert primary, John Clarke Junior High and Rogers High School in Newport. In 1953 he matriculated to Villanova University in PA, where he earned a degree in Psychology and Sociology. He also studied biology at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.

In 1958, he began a long career in social welfare, starting on the staff at the State of Rhode Island's welfare center in Providence, RI. In the 1960s, he transferred to the RI Training School for Boys in Cranston, RI, where he spent twenty years as a classification counselor assisting in youth development and counseling. He was later promoted to the role of senior classification counselor for prisoners at the Adult Correction Institute in Cranston, where he worked for fifteen years until his retirement.

Barry married Janet (Kerrigan) in October 1971, and together they raised four children and welcomed thirteen grandchildren. They brewed beer in their cellar and built a busy family life deeply connected to Newport's many attractions, including its schools, sports, arts, and bridge leagues. Barry spent his summers at Sachuest ("Second") Beach, while Jan pursued interests that challenged her intellectual prowess and volunteered at St. Barnabas Parish in Portsmouth.

In his later years, Barry remained active in the community as a member of the Viking Bridge Club, a regular at daily luncheons at the Middletown Senior Center, and a security guard at Touro Synagogue in Newport, America's oldest Jewish temple.

Jan died on April 10, 2025, after a long-fought illness. Barry and Jan are survived by their children, their spouses, and thirteen grandchildren, a son Christopher K. Shea and his wife Charity (Pedersen) of Portsmouth, RI and their four children: Katelyn, Jarryd, Liam, and Kasper; a late daughter Jennifer N. Shea (deceased November 5, 2011) and her two daughters, Rose-Ellen and Emma Kane, of Westport, MA; a daughter Nella (Shea) Weaver and her husband Michael of Millburn, NJ and their five children: Hazel, Gus, Mickey, Josephine, and Sebastian; and a son Kevin and his wife Keri (Bjorklund) of Portsmouth, RI and their two sons, Noah and Greyson.

Calling hours for Barry will be Wednesday, November 4th from 4:00 to 7:00 at the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport. Funeral Services will follow on Thursday at 10:00 in the Memorial Funeral Home, with burial to follow at St. Columba Catholic Cemetery, Brown's Lane, Middletown.

Online tribute at www.memorialfuneralhome.com