Dave Shea, who coached generations of boys and girls basketball and baseball players at Bacon Academy in Colchester, died on Saturday.
Shea coached for 49 years, retiring as girls’ basketball coach in 2019. The school gym is named after him.
He had an overall record of 778-308 and qualified for the state tournament in 48 of his 49 seasons.
He won two state titles (2012 in Class L and 2009 in Class M) with the girls team, and Bacon was the state runner-up in 2001, 2013, and 2017.
His girls’ record over 25 years was 449-140. His boys’ team won the Class S state title in 1981.
Shea was the second coach in Connecticut history to win titles with both a boys’ and girls’ team (after Bill Reagan with St. Thomas Aquinas boys and the Old Saybrook girls), when the Bacon Academy girls won the title in 2009.
He also coached baseball at Bacon, winning over 300 games. He coached his son John, who graduated in 1983, and who is also the second leading basketball scorer at Bacon (1,958 points).
Ron Wotus (1,962), the all-time leading scorer, spent nearly four decades involved in professional baseball – most notably as a bench coach for the San Francisco Giants, who won World Series titles in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
Shea had to step down from his head coaching position after having a pacemaker implanted in late 2019 when he was 84.
He continued to help out with the team until his retirement, before the 2020-2021 season.
Former Bacon Academy Coach Dave Shea Passed Away At The Age Of 91
According to sources, Dave Shea, a coach at Bacon Academy, passed away on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at the age of 91, following a brief illness.
Close ones and relatives have poured their heartfelt condolences and sent prayers to Dave’s family to stay strong in this heartbreaking moment.
An Instagram handle named CT Neighbors took to their official Instagram handle and announced the death of Dave Shea. They wrote,
Dave Shea, who coached generations of boys and girls basketball and baseball players at Bacon Academy in Colchester, died Saturday at the age of 91. Shea coached for 49 years, retiring as girls basketball coach in 2019. The school gym is named after him. He had an overall record of 778-308 and qualified for the state tournament in 48 of his 49 seasons….
CT Neighbors
Earlier in late 2019, Dave stepped down from his head coaching position after having a pacemaker implanted at the age of 84.
He told The Courant in December 2019,
“I’ll do what I can,” “They have some restrictions on me as far as being a game coach and getting all excited and whatnot. “[My doctor] probably doesn’t even know the extent of what I’m doing. But I feel good and I’m just going to help out.”
Dave Shea
Dave Shea And His Late Wife, Dorothy Shea, Were Blessed With Two Children
Dave Shea was married to his college sweetheart, Dorothy Shea, on August 20, 1960, and they made their home in Colchester.
Dorothy was born to be a teacher and truly loved her life’s call as a second-grade teacher in Colchester, CT, for 35 years.
Sadly, Dorothy passed away on December 20, 2022, at Hartford Hospital.
Dave and Dorothy were blessed with one son, John Shea, and one daughter, Mary Ellen Mahoney.
John was married to Dawn of Colchester, and Mary was married to John of Colchester.
Moreover, Dave and Dorothy had five grandchildren. They are mourning the death of their father, Dave Shea.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Shea was inducted into the Connecticut State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2004 and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
- He coached the boys’ basketball team for 23 seasons and the girls’ team for 25, taking on the job in 1993, thinking he’d be able to leave after a year and his assistant would take over.
