Peter Shea, president of J.F. Shea Construction and vice president of J.F. Shea Co., died Oct. 23 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. He passed peacefully with his wife and children surrounding his bedside in Newport Beach, California.

Part of the renowned Shea family, known for its work on the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam, and Interstate Highway System, Shea was a leader in the heavy construction industry and in home building, with real estate development companies Shea Homes and Shea Properties.

“During his 88 years, Peter lived his days with kindness, simplicity, competitiveness, and humor,” reads the obituary written by the family. “While Peter was a man of few words, he enjoyed connecting with people and deeply valued gathering with family and his loyal community of golfing, bridge-playing, or neighborhood friends.”

Born on May 29, 1935, in Los Angeles, Shea was the fourth of Margaret and Edmund Shea’s five children.

In 1953, Shea graduated from Loyola High School of Los Angeles. Four years later, he graduated with a business degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and, in 1960, he earned a second degree in civil engineering from University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering.

Shea grew up around the family business’ construction sites, spending his childhood, adolescent, and college summers on dam and tunnel projects in the western United States and working as a “chucktender” and miner on several tunnel projects.

In 1961 after his schooling, he joined his cousin John Shea and brother Edmund Shea Jr. as co-owner of the newly dissolved and reincorporated J.F. Shea Co., serving as the company’s vice president. He later served as president of its heavy construction subsidiary, J.F. Shea Construction.

Shea left his mark on the industry through the innovations and improvements that the company achieved under his leadership. Alongside John and Edmund, Peter helped expand the Shea organization to include home building in 1968.

According to the J.F. Shea Co. company timeline, the Sheas were building homes in Southern California, Northern California, and Nevada during the 1970s. “Their growth was slow but steady as they developed the talent and expertise to compete in this new market,” it reads.

Many years later in 1999, Shea Homes entered the active-adult arena, eventually leading to the award-winning Trilogy communities many know today.

In 2023, Shea Homes ranked No. 27 on the Builder 100 with 3,428 homes closed in 2022. The builder now constructs homes across the country—from California to Virginia—and has exciting projects in its pipeline, including being one of the first builders in Cotino, the first Storyliving by Disney community.

Shea served on various construction industry and community organizations including as director of AGC of California, director of the Beavers, trustee for the University of California Berkeley Foundation, and member of the University of California Berkeley Business School advisory board. He also served on the board of directors of the University of California, Irvine Business School.