Dr. Shea’s former colleague reacts to his death

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A former colleague of Dr. William Shea is sharing his reaction to his untimely death.

Dr. Shea, 75, was a longtime doctor at Hospice of Yuma.

Shea was struck while crossing South James Drive at East 24th Street after the driver, a 65-year-old woman, was turning onto James Road when the accident happened.

Shea was the rushed to Onvida Health, where he later died from his injuries.

Following his death, Hospice of Yuma shared their sadness over Dr. Shea's passing, calling him a beloved leader whose "dedication, compassion and leadership touched countless lives."

Several people, like Ricky Ochoa, who had been friends with Shea for over 15 years, say he will be missed along with his positive energy.

"He was a living encyclopedia and dictionary outside of medicine. He was a great joy to bounce things off of," Ochoa expressed.

Ochoa recalls how Shea welcomed him with open arms fresh out of residency, and shares what made him stand out: "It made things feel good, like I was in the right place and so I am so glad I met him. It was truly an honor...That sincere compassion that we all saw in him every single day beyond what we see normally in medicine, I think he just went above and beyond."

Ochoa adds that the personal connection he had with everyone who worked at the clinic will be something he will never forget: "It was never whether we had something to talk about or not, everyone, including me, stopped and just to say, 'Hi' the morning hi, the morning hug, the morning, 'How are you?' The morning sincerely 'How are you? 'How's your day is going?'"

Ochoa says Shea wasn't just a co-worker, but he was also his mom's hospice physician before she passed in 2022.