Patricia Jean (Warnock) Shanley

Patricia Jean (Warnock) Shanley, of Suffield, Connecticut, passed away peacefully after a long illness. She was born on October 3, 1936, in Providence, Rhode Island, to Richard Michael Warnock and Mary Clementine (Charette) Warnock. She was the fifth of seven children and grew up in Warwick, Rhode Island, where she graduated from Aldrich High School.

Following high school, Patricia worked in office administration at the Rhode Island School of Design and in several physicians’ offices. In 1957, she married James Joseph Shanley of Warwick. Together, they lived in Rhode Island before moving to Somers, Connecticut, in 1969, where they made their home for most of their lives, with brief stays in Springfield, Massachusetts, and North Port, Florida.

Patricia was devoted to helping others. For many years, she volunteered with the Fresh Air Fund, a youth development organization that provides transformative outdoor experiences at no cost to children from underserved communities in New York City. As a regional manager, she recruited host families and helped place children with families in the Somers area for summer visits. In 1977, the Shanley family welcomed John Wilson into their home. What began as a summer visit grew into a lifelong family connection, and John remains a cherished part of the family, sharing holidays and special occasions throughout the years.

In the mid-1970s, as her children grew older, Patricia returned to the workforce. She spent approximately 20 years at Western New England College, now Western New England University, in Springfield, MA where she worked in office administration for both the School of Business and the Law School. She later worked at Suffield Academy and the University of Hartford both in CT before retiring.

Patricia was preceded in death by her husband, James Shanley; her parents, Richard and Mary Warnock; her sister Gladys Kendall and her husband, Edward Kendall; sister Marion Warnock; brother Richard Warnock Jr.; sister Alice Brown and her husband, Henry Brown; and her brother Robert Warnock and his wife, Fumiko Warnock.

She leaves behind her daughter, Colleen Shanley-Loveless and her husband, Donald Loveless, of Newport, Rhode Island, and Kerry Shanley and his wife, Thanhthuy Shanley, of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania; her four grandchildren, Kelsey Loveless and her fiancé, David Cottam, of London, U.K., Taylor Loveless of Farmington, Connecticut, and Nolan Shanley and Mai-Linh Shanley of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania; her brother David Warnock and his wife, Lydia Warnock; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for both Patricia and James Shanley on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church, 395 Chestnut Street, Springfield, MA 01104. The family will be at the church at 9:00am prior to Mass to receive family and friends. The family was unable to hold services for James when he passed away from COVID-19 in March 2020 because of restrictions during the pandemic. The family finds comfort in being able to honor both Patricia and James together.

A luncheon will follow the Mass at Nathan Bill’s Restaurant at 110 Island Pond Rd, Springfield, MA 01118.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Patricia’s memory to Revitalize Community Development Corporation (Revitalize CDC), 240 Cadwell Drive, Springfield, MA 01104, or through Revitalize CDC at https://www.revitalizecdc.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com