Finley Alfred Shay's Obituary
Finley Alfred Shay was called home to God on June 3rd 2026, suddenly and unexpectedly due to complications from 1p36 Deletion Syndrome. Finley was born to Patrick and Erin on August 26th 2024 at Nemours Children's Hospital in Wilmington DE. Finley “Finny” is also the loving baby brother to Morgan Shay
Finley did not communicate in the ways that traditional toddlers communicate. He had no voice, a side effect from nerve damage received during his second heart surgery. What he did have was his right arm and right hand, along with a grunt and growl. You would be amazed how well you can communicate with just these 4 tools. If he was mildly annoyed he would growl at you If he did not like something he would slam that hand down as hard as he could. If he was really displeased he may even add a grunt. However, only three things displeased Finley. When you turned off his Mrs. Rachel, had the sun shine in his face or gave him an IV. Otherwise he only expressed happiness and joy. This was the easiest emotion to see on Finley because it was the emotion he seemed to perpetually have. The biggest toothiest smile would greet anyone that answered his face time calls or walked into the hospital room.
Next would come his High Five. If you put your hand up for a high five he would never dare leave you waiting for long. He got such enjoyment from it they always ended in a smile. Towards the end of his life he was even perfecting the art of clapping and turning the page in a book.. He would turn the page as fast as he could, reading became a secondary thought to the page turning which was not Morgan's favorite.
Now if you really wanted a good belly laugh from Finley you had to blow kisses on his belly. For Finley a good kiss or raspberry to the belly would result in legs flying and a side to side turn. The only other thing that would make him laugh harder was a good wrestling match with his sister. He loved to try and grab and kick her. Morgan being the great big sister she was would entertain him for about 1 to 2 mins and be over it the second her hair was pulled.
Finley also figured out how to tell us he wanted to sit in his baby Bjorn bouncing chair. This chair was his favorite place to observe the world. He would laugh at the windows or lights, watch Mrs. Rachel or be assaulted with licks from our dog Beau. If you were holding him he would use all his stomach muscles to sit up straight. This took effort, but not as much effort as he put into flinging his head and body back against whatever was in his way. Typically an arm or a chest but a few unfortunate times a mouth or chin. This process was repeated until you finally put him into his chair. Then he would kick his legs laugh and bounce away.
Eating was quickly becoming another activity Finley would love. Once he had his special chair that held him upright he could not be stopped. It looked like an alligator jumping out of the water whenever his spoon was close enough to his face. Morgan loved to help feed her brother. When she helped he looked less like an alligator and more like a clown that's been hit in the face with a pie.
For Mom and Dad but mostly Mom he also learned to Kiss. This was an easy thing to learn since he received close to 200 daily from his mother and only a few less from his father and sister. Many of these kisses would come from his cuddles with Mommy. This was a truly special time for mother and son. It is unfortunate however this time together was not always but often spent at all hours of the night when most people would be asleep. Together they watched Finley's second favorite show below deck. While watching the show Finley would just grab and pull her hair out in clumps. He wouldn’t fall asleep typically until he was holding a large bit of
moms hair in his hand. Finley would at least let you know when he was ready to sleep he did this by kicking his right leg over to the perfect side position. It would take him a few pumps of the leg for him to be just where he wanted to be. However as soon as you saw the leg going you knew Finley would be asleep in the next few minutes so better change his diaper or else you were watching below deck that night.
Eventually Mom and Dad realized Finley slept through the night when he was asleep on the floor. Usually he fell asleep on a blanket on the floor. Then was brought upstairs when Morgan was ready for bed. He would wake up a few hours later on his overly expensive 400 plus dollar Newton Breathable Mattress. Instead when left on the hardwood floor with just a few blankets he would sleep through the night. Go figure. Then this became a Family event Morgan wanted to sleep on the Floor with Finley and whatever parent was on Finley duty. Then the other parent did not want to sleep alone upstairs. Soon Bed time became one big Sleepover downstairs every night.
Finley was a fast learner and was beating not only our expectations but the doctors before he passed away. Finley's first heart surgery was described to us as a “Hail Mary Surgery.” It was a 2 part surgery the second was expected to take place after he grew to a certain size. The original 1 to 2 year estimate, Finley raced through after thriving at home. He received the second part of his surgery just 6 months later. From there Finley continued to be a miracle and reached milestone after milestone quicker than anyone expected. He really was a miracle and a fighter. These traits he even will continue in death as an organ donor. He did not have much to give but what he did give was a miracle liver to a family in need who will not have to fight and suffer any longer thanks to Finley.
A letter to Our Son.
Finley we love you more than words will ever be able to express. The very moment we met you, you instantly unlocked a new depth of unconditional love we did not even know existed.Finley means warrior, and you embodied this meaning every day. Your strength and resilience was admired by everyone you met. God created you with a purpose. You were not sent here to improve only our lives, but the lives of everyone you met .You taught us how strong we could be. We learned more about ourselves in the last 21 months than we had in the years we had before you. Finley, to us you are perfect in every single way. However there were things you probably never could have done here on earth. We pray you are now in heaven, walking and running, talking,yelling, laughing ,playing and eating all the sweet treats. We pray you are at peace, no more medications, IVs, no more seizures, oxygen or prolonged hospital stays. You’re now healty, no longer in pain. Please guide us and comfort us. Thank you for teaching us true love, patience and happiness. Thank you for choosing us to be your parents, it is an honor to be the mom and dad of Finley Alfred Shay. Your life mattered! You left a mark on this world in your short 21 months. Finley you will never be forgotten. We love you!
Love,
Mommy (Erin Schroeder) Daddy (Patrick Shay), Sisy (Morgan Shay)
GoGo and Papa (Mary Beth McNamee, Mark Schroeder)
Memaw and Popop ( Joanne Shay, Alfred Shay)
And all your Aunts Uncles and Cousins
In lieu of flowers, please honor Finley's life with a donation to Nemours Children's Hospital of Wilmington, DE.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Fin's viewing on Thursday, June 11th, 2026, from 6pm - 8pm, and Friday, June 12th, 2026, from 10am - 11am, followed by an 11am funeral ceremony in Givnish Funeral Homes, located at 1200 US. Rt. 130 N., Cinnaminson, NJ, 08077. Fin will be laid to rest in Lakeview Memorial Park of Cinnaminson, NJ.
What’s your fondest memory of Finley?
What’s a lesson you learned from Finley?
Share a story where Finley's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Finley you’ll never forget.
How did Finley make you smile?
