William Cornelius Shine (1920 - 1981)

Born 10 Jul 1920 in New Britain, Hartford, Connecticut, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Ruth (Cross) Rudy — married 1 Feb 1941 (to 19 Jun 1948) in New Britain, Hartford, Connecticut, United States

Descendants

Died 6 Oct 1981 at age 61 in Rocky Hill, Hartford, Connecticut, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: James Shine [send private message]

Biography

Married Ruth Cross Feb, 1, 1941. Fathered three sons. William, Charles, and Bruce.

Enlisted in the military December 14, 1943. Unknown health issues sent him to Battey General Hospital in Rome Georgia. He was honorably discharged August 12, 1944.

Divorced Ruth June 19, 1948. Ruth remarried and three sons were adopted by new husband.

Married Marian Saraceno 5 days after divorce on June 24, 1848.

Was a painter early on. A trade passed down from his father. Became a car salesman. Owned a small used car dealership named "Berlin Motors" on Farmington Ave, in Kensington.

In 1949 he started auctioning cars as a side business. Over the years, being an auctioneer became his primary job. He auctioned fine art, notable properties, and the estates of many well known people. By 1975 he claimed to have held 1,365 auctions. That would average one and a half a week, so his estimate may actually have been conservative.

He and Marian Divorced August 2, 1972, and he married Audrey Gundersen 2 days later.

In 1977 he opened a new Auto Auction gallery. August 4, he was seeking nomination for police commissioner. August 11 he petitioned for a primary seat as Police Commissioner. August 16 he has a major stroke that he never recovered from.

He lived his final four years at the Veterans Hospital in Rocky Hill Connecticut.

Sources

• Connecticut Death Index, 1949-2012
• Connecticut, Divorce Index, 1968-1997
• Connecticut, Marriage Index, 1959-2012
• Connecticut State Department of Health; Hartford, CT; Connecticut Vital Records — Index of Marriages, 1897-1968
• U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
• U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010
• U.S. WWII Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954
• United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946