Quinlan J. Shea Jr.

Funeral Date April 17, 2019

Mass of Christian Burial will take place at St. Joan of Arc Church on Wed., April 17, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. Burial the following day, Thurs., April 18 at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery at 12:30 p.m. See full death  notice for details.

SHEA, Quinlan J. (Quin) Jr., of Chagrin Falls, OH, died peacefully on March 16, 2019. Beloved husband of Hedi S. Shea. Devoted father of Quinlan J. III of Olney, MD, wife Robin; Kevin T. of Monterrey, Mexico, wife Bertha; and Christina S. Lordan of Chagrin Falls, husband Tim. Loving grandfather of Christopher, Sean, Brian, Connor and Claire Lordan.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island on February 26, 1935 to Quinlan J. and Angela B. Shea, he was raised in Barrington, Rhode Island. Quin graduated high school from La Salle Academy in Providence. He then received a Bachelor of Laws degree from Boston College in 1959, and graduated second in his class with a Master of Laws from Harvard University in 1960. Quin enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG). He held numerous leadership positions within the JAG Corps, including as Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, VII Corps, in Germany; Staff Judge Advocate, Intelligence Command; Staff Judge Advocate and Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence (G-2), Second Infantry Division, in Korea; and Legislative Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Army, at the Pentagon. Quin was honorably discharged in 1972 with the rank of Major. Quin joined the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as Deputy Chief of the Public Accommodations and Facilities Section of the Civil Rights Division. He litigated extensively on behalf of the United States, including numerous high-profile desegregation cases. Quin held several significant management positions, including as Director, Office of Privacy and Information Appeals; Director and Counsel, Executive Office for United States Trustees; and Senior Management Counsel. He received three Meritorious Service Medals during his time at DOJ, as well as the Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions. Quin retired from Federal Government service in 1986 to lead a private practice that specialized in access to government information. He was a prolific writer, authoring numerous books and law review and other articles, particularly regarding legal issues underlying the Freedom of Information Act.

Quin and Hedi were married on November 5, 1960. They were longtime residents of Columbia, MD, where they raised their family. In 1997, they moved to Barnstable Village on Cape Cod, MA and enjoyed nearly 20 years of retirement and many Summers and Christmas’ with their grandchildren. Quin was an avid gardener and genealogist who loved spending time with his family, and was entirely devoted to his grandchildren and his west highland terriers. He was a longtime member of the American Bar Association, the Rhode Island Bar Association, the Society for History in the Federal Government, and the American Society of Access Professionals.

A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 496 East Washington Street, Chagrin Falls, OH, 44022 on Wednesday, April 17 at 1:00 p.m. (ST. JOHN FUNERAL HOME OF BAINBRIDGE TWP., OH 440-708-1855)