The Rev. Joseph O’Shea, a beloved member of the Catholic community in Southwest Washington, died in his Vancouver home Friday.
The 74-year-old died of a heart attack.
This was O’Shea’s 50th year in the priesthood. Many of those years were spent in Clark County and Southwest Washington.
O’Shea was born in Kilkenny, Ireland. He was ordained June 18, 1961, at Archdiocese of Dublin. O’Shea moved to Seattle and served at St. Alphonsus Church for several years and then at St. Mary Church in Aberdeen.
O’Shea served as pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Camas from 1972-1974. He then served as a pastor at churches in Longview and Lakewood before returning to Clark County in 1981. For the next seven years, O’Shea was pastor at St. James Church in Vancouver.
He then left the area again for several years before returning to Vancouver. From 1990-91, O’Shea was the parochial vicar at St. Joseph Church.
O’Shea served as pastor at St. Philip Church in Woodland and St. Joseph Church in Kalama from 1991-2002, when he retired.
Following his retirement, O’Shea moved into the rectory at St. John the Evangelist in Vancouver and helped with services there until his death. He also helped at Holy Redeemer in east Vancouver, Our Lady of Lourdes in Vancouver and other Southwest Washington parishes. He was also the spiritual adviser for the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
O’Shea served with the U.S. Army Reserves for 18 years as a commissioned officer and chaplain in Veterans Affairs hospitals.
The funeral is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. John the Evangelist parish, 8701 N.E. 119th St. in Vancouver. Burial will follow at the St. John Catholic Cemetery. A luncheon will be held, following the burial, at St. John’s in Vogel Hall.
O’Shea is survived by three brothers and a sister, who are traveling from England and Ireland to attend the service.
