Eva Shields

Eva Shields

April 23, 1942 – March 25, 2024 

Eva Shields of Ellenville, NY, passed away on March 25. Born in 1942 amid WWII, Eva carried the values of service, dedication, and independence throughout her life. Despite growing up in difficult circumstances, she overcame great adversity with her strong sense of duty and obligation to others. This sense of obligation was not without levity. It was humor and fun which helped to make difficult situations light, and she carried this throughout her life. 

Always looking for fun, a laugh, and a bit of mischief, Eva was ready at a moment’s notice to be in the middle of where the action was. Her water gun fights at the annual Ellenville Fourth of July parade were legendary, as was her Devil’s Night chicanery with her nephew, Adam, and his close gang of friends. She could be irreverent in her shenanigans; however, all was meant in good fun. The numerous stories with her friends and family have now become legend. 

Eva had a great capacity for love; of music, animals, her town and the Hudson Valley, and above all love for her family and friends. Eva’s love for music spanned the decades of her lifetime. While she enjoyed music from the 50’s in her formative years, she also found delight in the then-new sound of rap in the 80’s. Most music would get her up and dancing. At a party or wedding, she was always the first person on the dance floor and the last one dancing. No need for a partner to dance with — the music was enough. 

She loved her pets as members of the family and treated them with great compassion and dignity. This love extended to people, caring for many who became part of her extended family. She was always there in a friend’s time of need, be it a crisis or an illness. Stories abound about how Eva’s friend’s children became her children as well. 

As sexton at Christ Lutheran Church for thirty years, she dedicated her life to the care and maintenance of the church and its grounds. It was more than a job to her, it was taking care of her church, its people, and her community. She took great pride in her work and was proud to have the cleanest sidewalks in town after a big snow, and a perfectly manicured lawn in summer. 

Above all, Eva dearly loved her husband Johnny, her son J.C., and her daughter Victoria. She adored her nephews, Adam Crisci and Michael Walsh, and loved them as her children. She was devoted to them and provided them opportunities beyond anything her upbringing experienced. She constantly pushed the boundaries for something better for all of them. Eva was a truly remarkable and unique person. 

Eva is preceded in death by her husband, John Shields after 52 years of marriage. She is survived by her son, John C. Shields, Jr., her daughter, Victoria Shields and her husband Ian Shearson. 

The visitation will take place on Thursday, April 4^th from 5-7pm at Loucks Funeral Home, Ellenville, NY. The funeral will be held at 1pm on Friday, April 5^th at Christ Lutheran Church, followed by the burial at Fantinekill Cemetery, both in Ellenville, NY. Memorial donations may be sent to Christ Lutheran Church, 105 Center Street Ellenville, NY 12428 and flowers to Loucks Funeral Home at 79 North Main Street, Ellenville, NY 12428.