Blue Hill -- Esther Elliott Cunningham Shay died quietly on October 2, 2017, in Blue Hill at the age of 95 after a decade long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Born on May 24, 1922 in New York City, the daughter of Warren Cunningham and Lucy Elliott Cunningham, she was descended from a long line of prominent southern families including the Elliotts, Hugers and Pinckneys.

She grew up in Scarsdale, New York, and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Sweet Briar College in 1945. She married Robert Shay on December 22, 1945, and lived in Charlottesville, Virginia while Mr. Shay completed his Doctorate in Economics at the University of Virginia. The couple moved to Orono in 1950 when Dr. Shay joined the faculty of the University of Maine. Mrs. Shay was one of the founders of the Maine chapter of the League of Woman Voters, and was active in politics throughout her lifetime. Mrs. Shay returned to live in Scarsdale in 1959 when Dr. Shay joined the staff of the National Bureau of Economic Research. In Scarsdale Mrs. Shay was very active in the community affairs, serving as a Trustee of the Village of Scarsdale, a member of the Planning Board, and on numerous other town committees. In 1994 she was named the recipient of the Scarsdale Bowl, jointly with her husband, in recognition of their combined contributions to civic life in Scarsdale. Mrs. Shay’s children observed that Dr. Shay was the trailing spouse in relation to that award. Thanks in part to inspiration by Julia Childs’ cookbooks and television show, Mrs. Shay became an excellent cook and her dinner invitations were welcome for her cuisine, hospitality and intelligent conversation. Young visitors to her home would search out cookies and hope for her baked desserts. While unfailingly courteous, Mrs. Shay was an early role model of a strong independent woman who spoke her mind and maintained a full calendar of civic activity. Helicopter parenting was not her style, for which her boys were grateful. Following Professor Shay’s retirement from the Columbia Business School faculty, due to Parkinson’s disease, the couple moved to the Parker Ridge retirement community in Blue Hill Maine, followed later by her brother Charles and her best friend, sister-in-law Beverly Cunningham. Dr. Shay passed away in 2001.

Mrs. Shay is survived by her three sons, Robert and wife Missy of Watertown, Mass, Warren and wife Jeanne of Skowhegan and Stephen and wife Wendy Weiss, of Cambridge, Mass, grandchildren Elliott, Anthony, Keith, Laura, Rebecca, David and Rachel Shay, great-grandchildren, Kira Coleman, and Kymani and Bella Shay, and her beloved sister-in-law, Beverly Cunningham, of Washington, D.C.

There will be a Memorial Service for Mrs. Shay this summer at her summer home on Oak Point.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Mrs. Shay’s name to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, 123 William St., 10th floor, New York, NY 10038 or the Blue Hill Tree of Life Food Pantry, P O Box 1329, Blue Hill 04614

Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com