Gansevoort man received award hours before fatal accident

The moment she saw the sheriff’s patrol car pull into the driveway, Linda Shea knew her husband had died.

Jim Shea, 68, was killed Wednesday when a freight train slammed into the Northumberland snow plow truck in which he was riding. Jim’s boss had notified Linda of an accident, but the sight of the oncoming deputy betrayed that it was fatal.

"I don't think he knew how special he was,” Linda said of her husband.

The night before his death, the Adirondack Search and Rescue Team (ASRT) had presented Jim with an award on behalf of his service to others. The longtime volunteer told his wife he felt embarrassed.

“He sat down and he said, 'I don't deserve this award,’” Linda said. “I said, 'Yes you do. It's you.’”

Jim dedicated much of his life to serving others, Linda said. In addition to ASRT, he volunteered for the Vischer Ferry and Gansevoort Volunteer Fire Departments for a combined 22 years.

The husband and wife served together in Vischer Ferry, where they specialized in fire prevention. Jim educated a generation of school children.

"You couldn't find a more stand-up person anywhere,” said Zack Zambri, President of the Vischer Ferry Volunteer Fire Company. “He was really involved with the community, and really wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself."

Following his retirement from the New York State Thruway Authority, Jim worked for the Town of Northumberland for a decade. In the summer, he tended the parks. In the winter, he helped plow the roads.

"The town's going to miss what he's done,” said Northumberland Highway Superintendent Neil Petteys. “[They] might not have realized it at the time... [but] they will now.”

No one will miss Jim more than his wife of 16 years, who said one memory stands out above all others.

"Just how much he loved me, and how much I loved him,” she said.

Jim had one son, one step-daughter, and one grandchild. His funeral arrangements are pending.