Linda Owens Shevlin, devoted grandmother
Linda Lee Owens Shevlin, 82, formerly of Hudson Falls, Glens Falls, and Queensbury, N.Y., passed away Monday, April 26, 2021, peacefully at home in Rehoboth Beach, with her family around her. Linda was given the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and other last rites by Father William Cocco of St. Edmond Church in Rehoboth Beach Sunday, March 14, 2021.
Linda was born Feb. 20, 1939, in Fort Edward, N.Y. She was the fourth of five daughters born to Franklin Gillette and Regina Elizabeth (Granger) Owens. She grew up mostly in Hudson Falls, and after graduating from Hudson Falls High School, she was hired to work at the General Electric capacitor plant in Hudson Falls where she met the love of her life, George F. Shevlin III. They were married July 15, 1961, and had 50 very wonderful years together before George died in 2011. They raised their four children, George IV, Mame, James and Tom in Glens Falls. In addition to visiting their son George in Rehoboth, they also spent much of their time at vacation homes in Goodnow Flow (Newcomb), N.Y. (where she delighted in the call of the loons), and North Port, Fla. In 2013, Linda moved in with her son George and his family, and began dividing her time between George’s homes in Washington, D.C. and Rehoboth Beach, and became a full-time Rehoboth resident last year.
Linda enjoyed reading, baking, collecting antiques, refinishing furniture, sewing, hiking, Notre Dame football, and the daily New York Times crossword puzzle. Playing bridge was one of Linda’s greatest passions, and she was a member of a number of bridge clubs and the American Contract Bridge League. She loved to visit new places and traveled throughout the U.S. and abroad, including a two-week trip to Burma and her son-in-law Jack’s home country of Thailand, as well as trips to South and Central America. Linda and her husband George’s favorite vacation destination was Hawaii where they spent many hours each day walking the beach. However, Linda’s greatest joy was her family. Her husband, children, grandchildren, and siblings were all important to her. She organized many family gatherings and holiday celebrations, where she was invariably the self-designated photographer and instigator of sing-a-longs. In her last years, she usually had at least one of her grandchildren with whom she shared a house sitting in her lap, often teaching them her favorite songs, such as “Kaw-Liga,” “My Grandfather’s Clock” and “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain.”
Linda was a direct descendant of Edward Doty, an Englishman and passenger on the 1620 voyage of the Mayflower to North America, a signer of the Mayflower Compact, and an attendee at the first Thanksgiving. She was also directly descended from several Revolutionary War patriots, including John Martin Granger, Joseph Beadle, John Martin, Freegift Cole and Daniel Shaw. However, Linda was a descendent of Irish Famine refugees of the clans of Cullen, Kavanaugh, Maloney and McNamara who emigrated to Vermont and found jobs in the railroad and slate industries there. She was extremely proud of her Irish heritage and visited Ireland several times. She enthusiastically embraced its customs and rituals, especially the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Her famous Irish Whiskey Cake was a favorite of family and friends at her son’s annual St. Patrick’s Day party at the Wee Irish Cottage in Rehoboth, when she was also responsible for leading the karaoke of Irish songs.
In addition to her parents, Linda was predeceased by her devoted husband of 50 years, George Felix Shevlin III of Glens Falls; her oldest sister, Dale Owens LaBarge; all of her brothers-in-law; and her dearest cousin and friend, Norma Hart Potvin.
Linda is survived by: her four children - George Felix Shevlin IV and his husband Peerapol Jack Suwanlert of Rehoboth Beach; Marianne “Mame” Shevlin of Glens Falls; James Owen Shevlin and his companion Michelle Sinéad Walshe of Frostburg, Md.; and Thomas John Shevlin and his companion Steven Wood of New York City; three grandchildren - Patrick Kul “Paddy” Shevlin, Brigid Frances “Biddy” Shevlin, and Regina Ann “Genie” Shevlin of Rehoboth Beach; and three sisters - Norine Owens Sherman of Fort Edward, N.Y., Beverly Owens Underwood of South Glens Falls and Kay Owens Goldman of Queensbury, N.Y.
Linda's family would like to express its sincere thanks and eternal gratitude to Linda’s wonderful neighbor Michelle Ann Germack for the care and compassion she gave our mother over the past few years, and to Linda’s aide Jennifer Coleman of Millsboro for her support in Linda's final weeks.
Calling hours will be held at the Singleton Funeral Home, Bay Road, Queensbury, from 4 to 7 p.m., Friday, April 30. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, May 1, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Glens Falls at 1 p.m. A Rite of Committal will take place at the Shevlin family plot in St. Mary’s Cemetery, South Glens Falls, following the funeral Mass.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations in Linda’s memory to her grandchildren’s school, Our Lady of Victory, 4755 Whitehaven Parkway NW, Washington, DC 20007 or at https://www.olvschooldc.net/make-gift-online/.
