5-K race remembers fallen trooper, funds scholarships

Susan Shea will never stop missing her husband. “Chris was an honest, caring and loving man,” she says. “This is what attracted me most to him. From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was the ‘one’ for me.” Corporal Christopher M. Shea grew up in Newton, graduating from Kittatinny Regional High School then entering the United States Marine Corps for four years. After that, he moved home and worked as a full-time security officer for Farleigh Dickenson while earning his associates degree. While at Fairleigh, he met a girl named Susan from Delaware. They both graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson in December of 1998 and married in May of 1999. They resided in Delaware after they were married. “Chris’ ambition was always to be a state trooper,” his father, Maurice Shea, said. Living in Delaware, he proceeded to follow that dream, and became a Delaware State Trooper in December of 1999. He and Susan also had two children: Christopher Jr. (now age 5) and Elizabeth (now age 3). “Once he joined the force, there was no looking back,” said Susan Shea. “He was dedicated to his family and living out his dream job.” And then Chris’ dream became his wife’s nightmare. On July 18, 2004, Chris was killed in the line of duty by a drunken driver. Timothy Shea, Chris’ youngest brother, wanted to keep his memory alive while encouraging other young adults to help in their communities by protecting and serving. Last year, the Corporal Christopher M. Shea Memorial 5-Kilometer Race was born, and with more than 200 runners and walkers in its inaugural running last year, raised over $2,000 to go toward a scholarship to be given to a Kittatinny Regional High School senior planning to go into law enforcement or civil service. This Sunday, Nov. 5, the second Annual Corporal Christopher M. Shea Memorial 5-K will be held at 1 p.m. in Swartswood State Park on Route 619 in Newton. Participants can either run or walk the 3.1-mile event, and it will feature custom T-shirts, give-a-ways, music, and home baked goods after the run. “We really appreciate the help of The Bears Running Club with organizing and staging the event,” Maurice Shea said. Participants like Suzanne LaBurt, who is coming to the race from Middletown, N.Y., are looking forward to it too. “It’s a fantastic cause and the course is flat and a fast one,” she said, adding, “The two best parts about the races are first, the venue at Swartswood Park and second, the home baked goods after the races.” Kenny Friedman is coming to the race from West Milford. “I’ve been training and am looking forward to having a good run,” he said. “The drive is worth it because the races at the park are always well organized.” Newton’s Dean Giering has been looking forward to the race for several months. “As soon as I saw there was going to be a second annual Christopher Shea Memorial race, I put it on my calendar,” he said. The race starts by the beach in Swartswood State Park. For information, call 973-271-6624 or visit www.Eteamz.Com/bearsrunningclub. Day-of-race registration starts at 11 a.m.