Geraldine L. Shanley
PITTSTOWN - Geraldine L. Shanley, age 81, died peacefully at home in Pitt - stown, New York on Sunday, May 28, 2017.
She was born on February 5, 1936 in Evanston, Illi - nois 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 been the wife of James J. Mc Grath- Captain-formerly U. S. Navy. In her role as the wife of a naval officer, Din - nie lived in many places including San Diego, Washington, Hawaii, New Port, Rhode Island and Green - wich, 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 car - ing 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 Pan - tries covering twenty- three counties in New York State. After retiring from the Re - gional Food Bank, she was an enthusiastic volunteer the Food Pantries of the Capital District. For her efforfforts on behalf of the hungry, Dinnie was recently given a certificate of recog - nition by U. S. Representative- Paul Tonko and New York State Senator- Neil Breslin. Dinnie also had a keen interest in music, both classical and contem contemporary, and art. This was shown by her membership and support: of the Sarato - ga 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 Can - cer Research Institute, Disabled Veterans of America, Colonial Williamsburg, the National Historical Pres-ervation 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 knit - ting 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, Benja - min Mc Grath, Jeffrey J. Mc Grath and his partner, Kate Fries, her daughter in law, Susan Skala, all residing in San Diego and her granddaughter, 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
To leave a message of con - dolence for the family online please visit sanvidgefuneralhome.com