Shauneen Marie McNally

Shauneen Marie McNally passed away at home with her family by her side on January 26, 2026 after a year long battle with throat cancer.

Shauneen was born September 7, 1957 in Plattsburgh, NY to Nadine and James McNally.

Shauneen was a proud graduate of Ogdensburg Free Academy. She attended Mater Dei College and graduated with a BS from Clarkson University.

Shauneen was well known around the halls of the State Capitol for her knowledge, commitment and tenacity for any of the issues she was working on. Shauneen started her career with the Association of Counties. She moved to the NYS Assembly Program and Counsel staff working for the Social Services Committee and then worked as a government affairs staff for the NYS Department of Health. After the change in administration Shauneen had a number of lobbying jobs before connecting with her future partners to form Weingarten Reid and McNally later becoming Reid, McNally and Savage. Shauneen was particularly proud of the firms work on the Clean Indoor Air Act and other legislation to curb teen smoking. Shauneen also worked pro bono for Unchained At Last which successfully lobbied to raise the minimum age for marriage in NYS to 18 without exception.

Shauneen loved the St. Lawrence River having spent much of her childhood swimming and boating on the river. Through her high school friends she discovered Thousand Island Park where she vacationed for years and finally bought a cottage. The TI Park cottage was Shauneen’s happiest place especially when she could share it with family and friends.

Shauneen was preceded in death by her mother Nadine and her brothers Patrick and Michael McNally.

She is survived by her husband of 38 years Jim Clyne; her children Justin Gates and Kathleen and Jimmy Clyne; her father James McNally; siblings Timothy (Lou-Ann) and William (Maureen) McNally and Katy (Tom) Connolly; sisters in-law Chris (Ned), Beth and Lynn (Andrew) Clyne; and 10 nieces and nephews who she adored. Shauneen remained close to her aunts and cousins from New Jersey and their families. She was always up for a road trip to New Jersey for a family function.

A public visitation will take place on Friday, January 30, 2026 from 3 to 6 pm at Applebee Funeral Home, 403 Kenwood Ave, Delmar, NY 12054. A short service will take place at the end of the public viewing. A private interment will take place later in the year. A reception for family and friends will be held after the service from 6 to 8:30 pm at Martel's at Capital Hills, 65 O’Neil Rd, Albany, NY.

In lieu of flowers please consider a gift to Save the River, savetheriver.org.