Susan Shean OBITUARY

Susan Shean OBITUARY

Susan Shean, of San Diego, California, ed away on May 9, 2025 after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer.

Susan was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York but with deep Irish ancestry ties. Her parents, James Carty and Nora Doherty, were both born and raised in Ireland. Her mother, Nora, emigrated to America in 1929 and settled in Brooklyn. Susan’s father, Jim, emigrated to America shortly thereafter and ed the military, serving during World War II in the Pacific Theatre. When World War II ended, Jim returned to Brooklyn and married Nora. Within two years, Susan’s father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died when Susan was only three years old, leaving Susan’s mother to raise both of her young girls.

Susan went to nursing school in New York and ed the licensing exam to become a ed nurse. She worked at a hospital in New York in one of the critical care units. She loved the job. At her job she met David Shean, who sold medical equipment to the hospital and was very intrigued with Susan. At first, she did not think David was her type. But once they started dating, she realized he was the man for her and they married in 1972. For their honeymoon, they traveled abroad where David had been stationed when he was in the military. David’s career in a Sales and Marketing position allowed the couple to extend their honeymoon into a six-year vacation!

When they arrived in San Diego in 1978, they decided to make San Diego their home. Susan decided to advance her nursing career by becoming a ed Nurse Practitioner. For this, she went to University of San Diego’s Advanced Nursing Program and got her RNP. Her first job in San Diego was at General Dynamics. She liked the work at General Dynamics but left when she found a nurse practitioner position at KELCO, leading their Employee Health Service. Under Susan’s leadership, the occupational health services grew and Susan spent much of her days assessing and treating injured employees. By the time she retired in 2015, KELCO’s management realized how difficult it was to find another person who could do all of what Susan had been doing for years. Eventually, KELCO contracted with an occupational health company who had to assign multiple staff to perform all the tasks Susan did.

David and Susan were an ebullient and adventurous couple who loved to travel and to entertain at their home, which was always a cheerful gathering place for their friends. In 2015, they went on an Alaska cruise to celebrate their retirement. On the last day of their cruise, David went into cardiac arrest and died. Susan was left to return alone on the last leg of their vacation and begin her new status as a widowed retiree. But she was a strong woman and would adjust and move on, creating new activities to keep her busy and finding more time to spend with old friends and cultivating new friends. She made connections and deep friendships with her dancing, yoga, Tai Chi, and community activist work. She also continued with her Irish tap dancing with The Tara Dancers. And, like her mother, Susan was very proud of her Irish heritage and decided to attend lots of Irish social activities and performances and to get more involved with San Diego’s Irish community.

Susan was also an amazing Aunt, Godmother, substitute Grandmother for her “boys’ next door and their parents, and Mom to her wonderful cats. Susan shared her love of art, theatre, fashion and chocolate with her nieces, nephews and goddaughter. She was an incredibly generous and loving friend to the many of us lucky enough to have had her in our lives. She lit up any room that she entered with her joyful smile, booming voice, and warm embrace. Her ing leaves a huge void that will never be filled because there will never be another human quite like her!

She was preceded in death by her husband Dave, her infant son Patrick and her parents Nora and James. Susan is survived by her sisters Noreen Shiels, Eileen Glackin and Joanne Francis; her many loving nieces, nephews, goddaughter, and a multitude of friends, co-workers and neighbors who loved her.

A memorial Mass will be held on Friday, June 6, 2025 at 9:30 AM in St. Didacus Church at 4772 Felton Street, San Diego, CA.