Joseph Shea (FBI agent)
Joseph Shea | |
---|---|
Born | Joseph Gerald Shea September 20, 1919 Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Died | August 4, 2005 | (aged 85)
Alma mater | Boston College |
Occupation | Law enforcement official |
Spouse |
Sarah Eugenia Blakeman
(m. 1953; died 2004) |
Children | 2 |
Joseph Gerald Shea (/ʃeɪ/; September 20, 1919– August 4, 2005) was an American law enforcement official who was a Special Agent for the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).[1]
Early life and education
Shea was born in
Career
After graduation, he started working for the
Personal life
Shea met and married Sarah Eugenia Blakeman while in
Death
Shea died in Marietta, Georgia on August 4, 2005, at 85 and was buried at Georgia Memorial Park Cemetery.[1] He is survived by his two daughters, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
In popular culture
In the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, fictional character Carl Hanratty, portrayed by Tom Hanks, is loosely based on the relationship that Shea had with Frank Abagnale.[2] According to Frank Abagnale, his deep friendship with Shea, as portrayed in the film, lasted 30 years until Shea's death.[3] However, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Abagnale and Shea only reunited in the late 1980s, almost 20 years after Shea arrested him.[4]
A stage musical based on Abagnale's story was produced on Broadway in 2011. Norbert Leo Butz played Hanratty and won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
References
- ^ a b c d e "Joseph Shea's Obituary on Atlanta Journal-Constitution". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
- ^ "Movie won't bring fame or fortune to FBI agent". Deseret News. November 11, 2002.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Frank Abagnale | Catch Me If You Can | Talks at Google. YouTube.
- ^ "Clipped From The Atlanta Constitution". The Atlanta Constitution. 2003-01-13. pp. C2. Retrieved 2021-08-29.