Rocket fire kills Marine major

Last month Maj. Kevin Shea, a Marine fighting in Iraq, was nominated for a Bronze Star with Valor. But he never told his family.

"That goes to his character, how modest he was," said Maj. Shea's brother, Dan.

Kevin Shea was killed Tuesday by rocket fire in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, near Fallujah. It was his 38th birthday.

A 1984 graduate of Seattle's Bishop O'Dea High School, Maj. Shea graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy before joining the Marines. While at the academy, he lettered in football, played in the 1987 Freedom Bowl and was a member of the academy's 1989 rugby team, which won the collegiate national championship.

He fought in the Gulf War, taught and coached rugby at the U.S. Naval Academy. He was promoted to the rank of major in 1999 and earned a master of science degree in electrical engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School in California.

Maj. Shea was to return to his home in California in November, with a promotion to lieutenant colonel.

"We thought he'd turned the corner in terms of risk," said Dan Shea. "But from Day One there was risk, and he knew it."

Dan Shea said his brother will be posthumously promoted to lieutenant colonel and will be the highest-ranking Marine to have died in the Iraq war.

While at O'Dea, Maj. Shea played football and was named to the all-Metro team as a senior.

"In the past 48 hours I've been humbled with thoughts about what a great man he was," said O'Dea classmate Joe Bundrant of Edmonds. "Kevin was special. Strong and powerful, a tender warrior."

O'Dea held its 20th reunion this summer, and Maj. Shea was unable to attend. But Bundrant passed out pictures of Maj. Shea and his family.

"He started out as a pudgy freckle-faced kid and worked his way into a giant with hard work," Bundrant said.

He said the school is hoping to organize a memorial for him at O'Dea and a fund to help his family.

Earl Hanley, an O'Dea teacher who is involved with alumni relations, said he knew Maj. Shea well.

"He was an outstanding young man," he said. "An effective leader, good student and mature solid young man."

He was shown a photo of Maj. Shea at the O'Dea reunion. "You never think for a moment tragedy would come so soon."

Besides his brother Dan, Maj. Shea is survived by his wife, Ami, and two children, ages 10 and 7; his parents, Bill and Eileen Shea, and his brother Tom, all of Washington, D.C.

Dan Shea said his brother will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com