Birth date: Feb 14, 1959 Death date: Jan 22, 2024
Michael Joseph Shanahan, Jr. was born February 14, 1959 to Michael J. Shanahan, Sr. and Elena Gilooly Shanahan in Hoboken, New Jersey. He passed into eternal rest on Monday, January 22, 2024 in Northwood Hills Care Center in Human Read Obituary
Michael I remember the day you came home from the hospital. I was 8 years old. You were my alive doll. So cute and as the years passed by you and John entertained us everyday. You were a joy. Helena brilliantly has put her words as to how I felt also. I chuckle when I look at our wedding picture and you as the alter boy along with John. Very serious and a job well done. We will miss you. You are now with Mom, Dad and Tommy. Till we meet again. Love Kathie
This is how I remember you.
A truly beautiful boy with blue eyes and dark hair, born on Valentine’s Day
Full of fun and adventure.
You and your brother John were wonderful playmates and loved to roll around on the floor play wrestling.
We all adored you!
You were full of promise and great potential.
As a very young kid, you helped the senior neighbor across the street anytime she needed anything
Then you were an exceptional entrepreneur
Your adventures took you to a closed and abandoned toy factory where you found all types of molds for soldiers, Christmas skaters and everything in between.
You made toys! You sold toys all over Bergenline Avenue. This was when you were 11-12 years old as I recall. Christmas holds that special memory and I remember that young boy.
The next adventure was sewing coats
You noticed that a coat factory was throwing out a ton of coats that were mistakes.
Then you developed a system to get the boxes of discarded coats and brought them home, wagons, carts, anything with wheels.
You were then in business!!
You fixed the errors, took the coats apart, created new coats and sold then for $5 a coat in the neighborhood.
Mom was soon enlisted in some of the sewing. You both listened to Irish music while the sewing machine was humming along
You made a coat for your future brother in law, Charlie . You were so proud of that coat and hung it in the middle of the room from a light fixture. It had a fur collar and you were beaming when you gave it to Charlie
Time to go to High School
You applied to Saint Joseph’s High School. Your grades were good and your tests were good. Alas, you were waitlisted because that was a year of a large number of applicants. This did not discourage you. Every day after school, you went up to see the brother at St Josephs to see if you got in. You told him you would wait in the hall outside his office until he had news. Every day you went and you waited. You were admitted you to St. Josephs within a week.. A lesson in tenacity for all of us!
That is who you were, your very essence. This is how I remember you!
Love, your sister Helena
