Anne E. McShane

BARRE – Anne Elise (Kansanen) McShane, 63, of Barre, died peacefully at home after complications of Parkinson’s disease surrounded by the love of her family on Thursday, July 24, 2025.

Anne was born on February 3, 1962, in Turku, Finland, to Jaakko and Aino (Karvinen) Kansanen. She grew up in Northborough and was a 1980 graduate of Algonquin Regional High School. After high school she worked at many office and administrative positions and earned her real estate and EMT licenses.

Anne met Robert McShane in Northborough, and they were married on April 7, 1983. Together they built a life filled with love, raising their two daughters, Samantha and Maureen.

Anne had a deep appreciation of music and loved traveling with her husband to see live performances. She enjoyed a cup of tea and any form of dessert until the very end. Anne loved to take on a good craft project or home renovation. Over the years, she found great joy in watching her daughters pursue their passions whether it was dance, horseback riding or their interests in the arts.

Anne helped create and build her daughters dance studio, Shooting Stars Performing Arts. For a number of years, Anne worked as the office manager and was known for her organization, reliability, authoritative kindness, and being the number one dance mom to all.

Despite many years of chronic illness, Anne met each day with courage and hope. She was a quiet warrior, a grounding presence and a woman who spoke the truth with heart. She had a way of helping those who needed it the most and instilled boldness in the people around her to be themselves. Anne was a true “no judgment zone”, and her open-minded spirit touched those closest to her.

She was predeceased by her mother, Aino (Karvinen) Kansanen, her brother-in-law Kevin McShane and her sister-in-law Claire Despres.

She leaves behind her devoted husband of 43 years, Robert A. McShane of Barre; her daughters, Samantha Cahill and her husband Dan Cahill of Worcester, and Maureen McShane and her fiancé Will Collier of Barre; her beloved granddaughter, Claudia Cahill; her father Jaakko Kansanen of Finland, her siblings, Lisa Murphy of Rutland, Jari Kansanen and his wife Maura McSweeney, Juha Kansanen, and Jorma Kansanen and his partner Debra Bernard; as well as countless nieces, nephews, grandnieces/nephews and loyal close friends.

Her legacy lives on in the family she loved so deeply and in the simple, powerful ways she taught us to live with kindness and resilience.

Services will be private. Burial will follow at Northborough Cemetery on Howard Street in Northborough.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Anne’s name to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at www.michaeljfox.org