James A. Shea, 63, a lifelong resident of Bedford, died suddenly, on September 10, 2022.

He was the son of the late Harry F. and Winifred (Douthwright) Shea.

Jim attended Bedford High School and graduated in 1977.  It was there that his passion for electronics and media began. He was heavily involved in the media and audiovisual departments and was integral in installing the sound system in the auditorium. While maintaining honors, he would go into Boston at night to work at Channel 2.

After graduating, he went to Syracuse University for a year but felt he had all the skills and knowledge necessary to work in the field. He began working at WBZ-TV and went on to work for many news networks around Massachusetts over the years as a video editor. He specialized in magazine-style stories; broadcast on-air promotion; documentaries; marketing videos for the financial industry; long-form safety and educational programs for utility companies; DVD authoring; and media transcoding. In Jim's own words, "Editing is not merely a job—it is a calling and a profession. A profession brings with it a commitment. Editing is where the 'rubber meets the road.' It is the critical final step in a creative process before content is presented to the audience".

Jim brought that same passion to his volunteer work at the Bedford Depot Park and to Bedford's Cable TV Committee, as recalled by his close friend and admirer Joe Piantedosi:

The project began when he and John Filios came before the Select Board requesting a $500 matching grant to erect a Special Places sign illustrating Bedford's unique railroad history. That sign, which still stands along the bike path adjacent to the Bedford Depot building, points out how Bedford was the site of the first two-foot narrow gauge railroad in the US (the Billerica & Bedford Railroad).

After the installation of that sign, Jim wanted to create a small park/picnic area in the adjacent area. At that time, the land and buildings at Depot Park were privately owned and it was suggested that the Town of Bedford purchase the property. With his historical knowledge and research of Bedford's railroad history, he authored the federal transportation enhancement grant through the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). His amazing publishing skills and historical documentation resulted in an award of $1.6 million to acquire and renovate the Depot Park area. Following the grant approval, Jim established the Friends of Depot Park, a private non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Bedford's railroad history and support to Depot Park.

Jim's numerous accomplishments over the years also included: establishing the Bedford Freight House Welcome Center and Museum, documenting Bedford's railroad history (including thousands of historic photos, documents, recorded interviews with people who served on the railroad in Bedford), acquiring historic railroad artifacts that are on display in the Freight House and rail car, applying for private grants that added amenities to Depot Park and the installation of an exact replica of the original narrow gauge railroad off Loomis Street. In addition, Jim was the editor of the monthly/quarterly newsletter of the Friends of Depot Park which included numerous articles about our railroad history.

Another one of Jim's major accomplishments included the acquisition of Rail Diesel Car 6211 (on display at Depot Park) by the Friends of Depot Park group. This rail car was in very poor condition when it was acquired and transported from North Billerica to Bedford over the roadways. Jim, along with other volunteers, put in countless hours to help restore this rail car to its present state. However, Jim went above and beyond by spending long days in sweltering summer heat and in the freezing cold each weekend over several years to complete the restoration of the rail car.

Jim also served on the Depot Park Advisory Committee as a charter member over a 20+ year period.

In the early 1980s, Jim wrote a letter to the Selectmen to advocate that Bedford license cable television, since it was available in neighboring towns but not here. The Selectmen subsequently appointed an ad-hoc Cable Television Committee (which Town Meeting voters later designated a committee in the Bedford Bylaws) to work on licensing a company to provide cable service in Bedford. The board appointed Jim with four other residents. He was then elected clerk.

After much hard work on the committee's part, the Town selected Adams-Russel (now Comcast) as the cable provider. The High School, which had an existing TV facility, offered to host the studio facility and merge the new equipment with what already existed there. Jim was chosen to design and lead the building of the new facility. And over time, Jim donated a lot of his own money to buy more equipment for it.

He left the committee by the late 1980s due to his own busy career in the TV broadcast industry. Then in the 1990s, a new committee chair contacted him and he was recruited to rejoin the committee. Jim became an expert in cable TV contracts and worked relentlessly as chair of the Town's Cable TV Committee for many years, assisting with the drafting of requests for proposals, negotiating cable TV contracts for the Town and ensuring the cable providers were complying with the Town contracts. Over the years he received a lot of praise and recognition for all his work.

His work establishing Depot Park and numerous accomplishments as the founder of the Tele-Media close circuit television system at Bedford High School earned him Bedford Citizen of the year in 2001. He was the youngest Citizen of the Year ever appointed at that time and the write-up mentioned how the Tele-Media television system he created (along with its programming) became a model for similar programs across the country.

He is survived by his brother, Robert Shea and his wife Barbara of MT, sister, Lisa Peters and her husband Jim of Deering, NH, sister-in-law, Connie Shea of Hampton, NH, nephew, Brian Peters and his wife Samantha of FL and nieces, Colleen Lawton and her husband William and Carrie Siefer. Grand nieces and nephews Steven Lawton and Brooke Lawton of Newburyport, MA, and Cole and Carly Siefer of Conway, NH.He was predeceased by his brother, Steven Shea.

Jim will be deeply missed by many throughout the Town of Bedford.

Visitation will be held at the Bedford Funeral Home, 167 Great Rd., Bedford, on Sunday, October 2, from 12:00-3:00 PM. Following visitation a celebration of life reception will be held at 3:30 PM at the Bedford High School Cafeteria at 9 Mudge Way Bedford (2 ^nd door on the right across from the tennis courts).  Food and beverages will be served and all our welcome.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Friends of Depot Park, 120 South Rd., Bedford, MA 01730.