James Edward McShane

James Edward McShane, 78, of Edison, New Jersey, passed unexpectedly on September 21, 2021 at JFK Medical Center.  Born in Omaha, Nebraska on June 26, 1943, he was diagnosed early in life with polio and told he would never walk again. Despite lifelong health issues, he overcame this affliction. After graduating from Creighton Preparatory School, he went on to earn a degree in Electrical Engineering and a Juris Doctorate from Creighton University.

James married Irene Lucille Keil, of Lyons, Nebraska, on July 5, 1972.  They had two sons before ultimately relocating to New Jersey.  They remained a loyal, supportive, and loving couple and were looking forward to their 50th wedding anniversary.  James worked in various capacities as an attorney for the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Hearings and Appeals in Newark and New York City until retirement.

James’ interest in amateur radio and Boy Scouting stayed with him from his youth to his final years. He volunteered as a counselor for several merit badges, helping untold number of boys throughout the years. His technical interests also led to his early adoption of home computing.

James continued various studies and attended legal seminars in his retirement. He was elected to and served many terms on the local Republican Committee. Besides voracious reading, his main leisure pursuit was watching and feeding birds and other backyard wildlife.  James’ generosity, sharp wit, and sense of humor will be missed by all who knew him.

He is survived by his wife Irene Lucille McShane; sons Patrick Michael McShane and Donald Casey McShane; and grandchildren Abigail Grace McShane and Griffin Patrick McShane.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his loving memory to Patriots’ Path Council (Boy Scouts of America) at https://donations.scouting.org/#/council/358/appeal/129.

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