Sheila McVay, 82, of Whitman, passed away on July 10 at Ellis Rehabilitation Center in Norwood. Born in Newburyport In 1944 as the second daughter of Dennis and Edna Finnegan, she was a graduate of Newburyport High School and Bridgewater State University as an Education major with a masters degree In American history from Salem State University. 

She taught American history in Newburyport, Franklin and Randolph for several years and was a teacher in the Whitman-Hanson school system for more than 30 years.

 Sheila enjoyed travel to many countries and throughout the United States with trips across Europe in the 1960s. The US Open tennis tournament and Hawaii were amongst her favorites. She enjoyed politics and elections as well as playing the piano. Sheila was a Whitman resident for 53 years and lived at Traditions of Dedham for the last three years. She was a Eucharistic minister for many years at Holy Ghost Parish and worked at Whitman elections for over three decades. She loved reading the Boston Globe each day, watching tennis, and gatherings with many friends in Whitman at restaurants in the area.

Sheila was the beloved wife of Paul McVay, who passed in 2001, and mother to Meegan McVay of Washington DC and Brendan McVay of Westwood. She was grandmother to Max, Miles and Maisie, and mother-in-law to Catherine, all of Westwood. She was the sister of Eileen Richard of Newburyport and Margaret Greaney of Colorado, as well as sister-in-law to Gerard Richard, Robert and Linda McVay of Braintree and Ken and Linda McVay of Chatham, and loving aunt to many nieces and nephews. 

Friends and relatives are invited to attend visitation on Wednesday, July 15th from 5-7PM at the Blanchard Funeral Chapel ( RTE 58 at the rotary circle). Shelia's funeral Mass will be the following day on Thursday at the Holy Ghost Church in Whitman at 10:30AM. Burial will follow at St James Cemetery, Whitman

 Memorial donations may be made to the Whitman and Hanson Dollars for Scholars.