Ethel Rose (Moskal) Shea

May 2, 1940 – October 24, 2025

Ethel Shea

Ethel Rose (Moskal) Shea passed away peacefully at the age of 85.

At Ethel’s request, a Rosary will take place at 10:00 a.m., followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m., on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at St. Catherine of Siena Church (814 NE 85th Street, Seattle, WA). Reception to follow. Burial will take place at 2:30 p.m. at Holyrood Catholic Cemetery (205 NE 205th Street, Shoreline, WA). All are welcome.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Matthew and Margaret (Nelson) Moskal, Ethel Rose grew up in a close, lively household that shaped her lifelong devotion to faith, service, and family. Gentle by nature and strong in spirit, she met everyone with warmth, a smile and a ready laugh.

Ethel’s first and most cherished vocation was being a loving wife and mother. At 19, she married her first love and best friend, Harold F. Shea Jr. For 66 years they were inseparable, raising one daughter and five sons in a home filled with steady, joyful love, and laughter.

Quick-witted with a wonderful sense of humor, Ethel could bring laughter in place of tears even in her final days. She was an enthusiastic fan at the hundreds of games her children and grandchildren played, and she and Harold were Seattle Mariner season-ticket holders from the team’s inaugural year in 1977, attending as many games as they could.

Faith guided Ethel’s life beyond her home. She worked, volunteered, and supported the Catholic Church and Catholic education for nearly six decades. As Religious Education Coordinator at St. Catherine’s Parish and School, she accompanied children, teens, and adults through every stage of faith; preparing families for baptism; teaching religion during the week and on Sundays; guiding First Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation; walking with adults entering the Church; founding a Moms’ Group that built community; and assisting couples preparing for marriage. For Ethel this was never simply a job, it was a calling. She also served as a Eucharistic Minister, lector/reader, and generous organizer of parish events. Together, Ethel and Harold supported causes close to their hearts, including Holy Names Academy (Seattle, Class of 1958), St. John’s High School (MA), St. Catherine’s, and many other charities.

After retirement, Ethel delighted in traveling with Harold, visiting relatives, finding newly discovered kin through her love of genealogy, and taking cruises that opened the door to new adventures in the U.S. and abroad. For 20 years, they enjoyed a second home in Roseville, California, where Ethel savored time with Erin, Carlos, and her grandchildren, along with neighbors who quickly became friends. Wherever she was, Ethel made friends easily and loved to socialize.

Ethel’s love for children was ever-present; her purse was famously stocked with crayons, coloring books, trucks and little toys for a well-timed distraction. Even in her final days, she asked first about others, their families, their worries, their joys. She loved to share stories of her parents and siblings, her Crystal Lake childhood in Illinois, and the ever-growing circle of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews she adored.

Ethel was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband, Harold Jr.; her son, Daniel; siblings Phillip and Robert; and in-laws Germaine and Harold Shea Sr., Frank, James, Barbara and Eddie, Cese, and Hal.

She is survived by her siblings Harry and Phyllis; in-laws Anne, Gerry and Rita, Peggy, and George; her children Erin (Carlos) Angulo Shea, Michael (Sandy), Patrick (Amy), Timothy (Janet), Harold III (Michelle), and daughter-in-law Teresa (widow of Dan); 14 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; and many dear nieces and nephews.

Ethel often said she wished God would take her and Harold together; her family takes comfort knowing they are reunited, sharing the daily hugs and kisses that marked their life.  Ethel’s legacy is one of steadfast faith and a heart that noticed and nurtured everyone around her. May she rest in the peace she so faithfully pursued.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Moskal Memorial Endowment Fund at Holy Names Academy (728 21^st Ave. East Seattle, WA 98112) or www.holynames-sea.org.