Construction mogul & philanthropist
Peter O. Shea, 88, a heavyweight in construction and real estate development, died Oct. 23, 2023, in Newport Beach, Calif., after battling Parkinson’s disease.
After graduating from Haas, Shea joined his brother and cousin as co-owner of the J.F. Shea Co., serving as VP and later president of J.F. Shea Construction, its heavy-construction subsidiary. Under his leadership, he created one of the nation’s
largest privately-held real estate developments, Shea Homes and Shea Properties.
A stalwart benefactor of Haas and Berkeley, Shea was a Haas School Board member from 1987 to 2002 and supported the opening of the Haas campus in 1994. He also served as trustee of the UC Berkeley Foundation.