Eugene Shine, CAPT - Obituary

etired Navy Capt. Eugene F. Shine, 82, of Annapolis, died of natural causes Sept. 30 at his home. Capt. Shine was born in South Boston, Mass., on July 3, 1925, and grew up in the tough Irish Catholic streets of "Southie." He quit high school to enlist in the Navy in 1942 and served aboard the submarine USS Cuttlefish in the North Sea area. In 1944 he was accepted to study at the Naval Academy Preparatory School and in 1945 received a fleet appointment to the academy with the Class of 1949. As a plebe he received his "N" as lightweight boxing champion. He served in the Navy for more than 32 years, including World War II service in submarines and three combat tours in Korea. He was aboard the USS Endicott, a destroyer minesweeper, and flew F9F attack aircraft in 70 combat missions from the carriers USS Boxer and Oriskany. He participated in the Lebanon, Haiti, Cuban and Dominican Republic crises and was awarded numerous combat decorations. Among his awards were the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, four Air Medals, the Naval Expeditionary Medal with Combat V, the Navy Expeditionary Medal for Cuba, the U.N. Service Medal and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation. He received a bachelor of science degree in electronic engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School in 1954 and a master of science degree in management and industrial engineering in 1964 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also attended the Naval War College. He had aeronautical engineering duty from 1962 to 1975. Prior to retirement he was commanding officer of the Naval Air Rework Facility at Norfolk, Va., from 1972 to 1975. Capt. Shine received a law degree from George Mason University. After completing a career in law as a partner in a Washington, D.C., firm, he retired to community service and pro bono cases. He received numerous community services awards including the executive citation from the Citizens of Anne Arundel County and the Olde Severna Park Improvement Association Community Service Award. Surviving are his wife of 58 years, the former Joan Elyse Berg; three daughters, Cathy Levey of Columbia, Christy Norman of Bowie and Sunny Erwin of Virginia Beach, Va.; and five grandchildren. A Life Celebration will be held on October 14, from 3 to 6 p.m. at THE GEORGE P. KALAS FUNERAL HOME, 2973 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater, MD. A memorial service will be held on October 15, 2007 at 10 a.m. at the Naval Academy Chapel. Visitors should enter the yard through Gate 8 at Route 450. Burial will follow in the academy Columbarium. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 445 Defense Highway, Annapolis, MD 21401, or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Memorial and Honor Program, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105