Alice Shea Stablein

Alice Shea Stablein, aged 91, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, passed away on March 12, 2023, after a heart attack.
Alice was born on the family farm in Wataga, Illinois on November 1, 1931, to Thomas and Grayce Shea. Alice earned a degree in nursing from St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and she married her high school sweetheart, Philip Stablein, on January 3, 1953, in Wataga, Illinois. Then the couple moved to Collingswood, New Jersey to start their new life and family, which would eventually welcome five sons and two daughters.
Alice worked as a full-time housewife and mother while also volunteering for many years at the St. Francis de Sales Parish and St. Rose of Lima. Alice and Phil both enjoyed gardening, were ardent Philadelphia sports fans and followed college basketball. Alice watched these sports with her quilt patches and frame in hand which resulted in many beautiful handmade quilts in the Grandma’s Garden pattern of hexagons.
In June 2022, Alice enjoyed a weeklong sojourn in Sea Isle City, NJ with 54 members of her surviving family to celebrate her 90th birthday. She also prepared a book entitled, Memories of a Farm Girl, which detailed her life from her earliest days on the farm to her 90th birthday party.
Alice was predeceased by her spouse of 62 years, Philip Stablein and her siblings: Don Shea, Margaret Shea, Mary Jean Shea, Kathleen Roach, Genevieve McLaughlin, Anne McClure, and Michael Shea. She was a matriarch to her children and their spouses: Ralph deceased (Joy), Donald (Denise), Marie deceased (John) Osborne, Lawrence (Jo), Tony (Mary deceased), Jeanne deceased (Doug) Becker, and Robert (Ginny). She is survived by twenty-six grandchildren (Ryan deceased) and nineteen great-grandchildren and numerous other loving family and friends.
Viewing in New Jersey will be on Sunday, March 19 from 3 to 6 pm at Healey Funeral Home, Haddon Heights. The Mass of Christian Burial will occur on Monday, March 20 at 11 am at St. Rose of Lima Church, Haddon Heights.
Additional visitation will be at Watson Thomas Funeral Home, Galesburg on Sunday, March 26 from 3 until 6 pm. Graveside services will be Monday, March 27 at 9 am at St. Joseph Cemetery. Father Ghislain Inai will officiate. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Samaritan (https://samaritannj.org/) or St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church (https://www.strosenj.com/). Online expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.watsonthomas.com.