Shea's local kin revel in his success

ST. PETERSBURG -- Lawyer/real estate agent Gene Shea was lunching with his sons, Dana and Dennis, Wednesday at Dave's Restaurant when he got the call.

His great-nephew, Jimmy Shea, America's first third-generation Olympian, had won the gold medal in skeleton and Gene's daughter, St. Petersburg lawyer Diane Williams, was calling from the bottom of the run in Utah with the news.

"Hold on, hold on," she said, allowing the background news to come through. "That's Jimmy yelling."

"Jimmy did it for Jack," said Gene of his brother, a speed skating gold medalist in 1932 who died last month at age 91. "I was quite sure he was going to win. ... It was destiny with Jack's death and all. God took Jack away, but he gave him back to us in spirit." Gene called his brother Ed, who also lives in St. Petersburg, with the news.

When Jack won two golds at Lake Placid, N.Y., Gene didn't take off from Dartmouth College to see him compete. "I had skated with him all my life and I didn't want to see him lose," he said.

Ed was there, however.

"This is a great day in one way for the Shea family, sad in another," Gene said.

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