Phoebe A. (Cahill) Shields

Phoebe Ann Shields, a former elementary school librarian who brought a lifetime of wonder and enthusiasm to her children, family, students and friends, died April 8 at home in Wallingford, PA. She was 82.

She was born May 22, 1941, in Manhattan, to James and Rita (Gagen) Cahill and grew up in Pelham Manor, N.Y.

The Cahills were a musical family; Rita was a piano teacher and she, Phoebe (violin) and brother Chris (cello) won numerous musical competitions as “The Cahill Trio.” Phoebe and her three younger brothers formed musical combos throughout their young lives. Phoebe loved the violin, played the instrument throughout her time at Pelham High School, and briefly studied music at Marymount College in Tarrytown, N.Y.  She played in community theater and orchestras for much of her life.

She was named for the Phoebe bird and could be found whistling to her bird friends every morning. She found great joy in singing, participating in church choirs and community chorale groups throughout her life in New York and Massachusetts, and most recently in Chester County in the early 2000s.

“Something about her presence was musical in the way she could lift up people’s spirits, make a normal day feel whimsical, and bring a little joy to any room she was in,” said her eldest grandchild, Lindsey Shields.

She met the love of her life, Tom Shields, in 1962, and the two married soon thereafter. They first lived in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, moving in 1968 to New Rochelle, N.Y., where they raised their three children before moving to Westford, Mass., in 1987. The couple moved to Valley Township in Chester County, outside of Coatesville, in 2003, and lived there until moving to Plush Mills in Wallingford in 2015.

Phoebe worked as a librarian in elementary schools in Pelham, N.Y. and Boxborough, Mass., before retiring in the 1990s.

Phoebe will be remembered for the light she cast wherever she went. She was gracious and welcoming to all who met her, with a bright smile and an easy laugh. She did not ever complain.

She was the fun mom, packing up the cooler and the neighborhood kids for day trips to Jones Beach, exploring every inch of New York City and venturing to foreign lands like Philadelphia. Her travel plans didn’t need to be perfect, she was always improvising on the fly, and the next adventure was often a surprise.

She filled her grandchildren’s lives with wonder. Getting the Grandma treatment usually involved baking cookies, crafts, board games, fairy gardens, Chickarina soup, reading Strega Nona or Where the Sidewalk Ends, and always getting tucked in to bed with a sprinkle of “magic” baby powder or “magic” lotion.

Phoebe loved to travel, and she and Tom saw the world. Her favorite place was Back Cove in New Harbor, Maine, where she and her family returned to throughout her life. Her memories will linger there as the next generations continue their summer pilgrimages to the Maine coast.

Phoebe and Tom always found a great circle of friends wherever they went, most recently at Hillview where they lived outside of Coatesville and at Plush Mills in Wallingford, including the many devoted staff who gave their love, time and effort to caring for them as they both dealt with Parkinson’s Disease. Her family is eternally grateful for that gift.

She is survived by her three children, Tom (Linda) Shields of Oakton, Virginia, Jeff (Patty) Shields of Springfield, Pennsylvania, and Susan (Steve) Fox of Huntington Beach, California; her brother, J. Warren (Cathy) Cahill of New Windsor, N.Y.; and grandchildren Lindsey Shields, Emma Shields, Annalise Fox, Caitlin Shields, Ben Fox and John Shields. Her husband, Tom, and brothers Chris and Peter died previously.

Friends and family are making donations in her name to the many worthy ministries of St. John Chrysostom Roman Catholic Church, 617 S. Providence Road, Wallingford, PA 19086.

Relatives and friends are invited to her Viewing Friday, April 12, 2024 6:00PM O'Leary Funeral Home 640 E. Springfield Road  Springfield, PA 19064 and Saturday, April 13, 2024 10:00AM St. John Chrysostom Catholic Church 617 S. Providence Rd, Wallingford, PA 19086 followed by her Funeral Mass 11:00AM in the Church.  Int. SS Peter & Paul Cemetery.

Mass will be Livestreamed via the link below: Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84649597589?pwd=iiT4uC6Y6k6a7fiqUwpg7jMiEpUBNg.1
Meeting ID: 846 4959 7589
Passcode: Shields

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