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Mary G. Shanahan, a long-time resident of Short Hills, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 6, 2023 at Sunrise of Summit. She was 92.
Mary was born in 1931 to the late Sarah A. (nee McGuire) and Michael J. Griffin in Newark, NJ.
She was a graduate of Benedictine Academy in Elizabeth, St. Elizabeth’s University in Morristown and her beloved University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN, where she was also a member of their Alumni Association.
Mary taught for many years, retiring in 1993. She was the science & math chair and taught AP chemistry, biology and algebra at Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield. Mary was greatly admired by parents and fellow teachers for setting the highest standards in her subject area- they termed her classes the “Shanahan Experience.”
A very devoted Catholic, Mary was a parishioner of St. Rose of Lima in Short Hills, where she was also a Lector and a member of the Life-Lighters. She was very charitable. She loved classical music, theater, sharing family stories and talking about her younger days teaching, attending college and the family adventures through the years. Mary was a remarkable woman that cherished time with her large extended family and dear friends. She enjoyed the energy of her great nieces and nephews and celebrating the holidays, especially Saint Patrick’s Day.
She was the beloved wife of the late William Shanahan, who predeceased her in 1962. She is also predeceased by her loving sister, Katherine F. Griffin. She is survived by many cousins and her beloved Shanahan family.
