Shane Deary’s name usually comes up when people are talking about Keri Russell, but he’s not an actor, not a celebrity, and doesn’t chase headlines. He’s a builder. He runs a construction company out of Brooklyn, does renovation projects, makes furniture, handles the kind of work where the results are real and tangible. Cabinets, brownstones, kitchens, restaurants. That’s what he does. The fact that he was once married to someone famous is only one part of the picture, not the whole story.
Background and Work
You won’t find a lot about his childhood or early years. He isn’t someone who sits for magazine profiles. What you can see is his professional path. He owns Deary Construction, a company in Brooklyn that deals with high-end residential renovation. They tear apart and rebuild old townhouses, redo kitchens and bathrooms, and take on custom millwork. That includes built-in bookcases, shelving, furniture, and the kind of work that makes a home feel like it belongs to the people living in it.
The company also does commercial projects: restaurant interiors, art gallery spaces, storefronts, even set design. It’s not flashy marketing language. The photos of projects on the company’s site do the talking. If you’ve ever seen detailed woodwork in an old New York home, you know it requires skill and patience. Nothing is square in those buildings. The floors sag, the walls lean. That’s the type of challenge Deary and his crew deal with.
Marriage to Keri Russell
Most people first learned his name when he married actress Keri Russell in 2007. At the time, she had already made her mark with Felicity and was working steadily in film and television. The couple had two children: River, born in 2007, and Willa, born in 2011.
For a while, there were public photos — Russell, Deary, and their son in Vancouver, for example. But as with many private people tied to public figures, he didn’t lean into it. By 2013, the marriage ended, and Russell moved on with actor Matthew Rhys, with whom she now has a third child. Deary, meanwhile, stepped back into his own world, his construction work, and fatherhood.
Parenting and Family Role
Deary shares parenting of River and Willa with Russell. She’s spoken in interviews about tailoring parenting to each child’s personality, about kindness and loyalty being important values. While she’s the one who appears in magazines talking about motherhood, it’s worth remembering that Deary is half of that parenting structure for their two oldest kids.
He’s not the type to share personal stories, but the fact that he continues in that role without making it a media piece says something about how he handles family. For him, parenting seems to exist outside the public stage, and that’s probably healthier for the kids.
Keeping Private
What stands out most about Shane Deary is how little he has tried to stay in the spotlight. A lot of people tied to celebrities end up being pulled into the constant cycle of attention, but he’s managed to avoid it. He doesn’t give interviews, doesn’t promote himself through Russell’s name, and sticks to running his company.
In a city like New York, where competition in renovation is brutal, that focus makes sense. Your reputation is built on whether jobs are finished well and on time, not on how many press mentions your name gets. Clients want solid work, not headlines.
Deary Construction: The Work in Detail
Looking closer at Deary Construction, it’s clear they’re not a generic contractor. They do full townhouse renovations, which often mean gutting and rebuilding interiors that are more than a hundred years old. Kitchens and bathrooms are obvious focal points, but the millwork sets them apart. Custom shelving, dining banquettes, entertainment units — these aren’t store-bought pieces; they’re measured, cut, and fit specifically to a home.
On the commercial side, the company has handled spaces for restaurants, which require balancing style with durability. They’ve also done work for art galleries and even film sets. That means they’re not just building permanent homes but also temporary, creative spaces where presentation matters.
This mix shows that Deary isn’t stuck in a single niche. He runs projects that cross both private living spaces and public design needs. That flexibility is part of what keeps a construction company alive in New York.
Why His Story Sticks Around
Shane Deary doesn’t seek attention, but people search his name anyway. That’s because of Keri Russell. Fans want to know who her ex-husband is, who the father of her first two children is. And when they look him up, they find a carpenter and contractor with a Brooklyn-based company.
So his story ends up being two-layered. For some, he’s the ex-husband of an actress. For others, especially clients in New York, he’s the builder who can take on complicated renovation jobs. He seems fine letting both exist without trying to merge them.
Clearing Up Misunderstandings
A few points come up often in online searches:
- No, Shane Deary isn’t still with Keri Russell. They divorced in 2013.
- He isn’t a Hollywood figure. His life is rooted in construction, not acting.
- He isn’t just a “contractor” in the sense of paperwork and supervision. His company emphasizes craftsmanship, which means real involvement in furniture and millwork.
These distinctions matter because they show how different his path is from what many assume when they only hear his name connected to Russell.
Why It Matters
Why does any of this matter? Because it shows that not every person attached to Hollywood becomes part of it. Shane Deary built his own lane and stayed in it. He raises his kids, runs his business, and doesn’t let the connection to celebrity define his life. For a lot of people curious about him, that’s the surprising part — not what he did to become known, but how little interest he has in being known at all.
FAQs
Who is Shane Deary?
He is a Brooklyn-based carpenter and contractor who owns Deary Construction.
What is Deary Construction?
It’s a company that handles high-end residential renovations, custom millwork, and some commercial projects.
Was he married to Keri Russell?
Yes, from 2007 to 2013. They have two children together, River and Willa.
Does he have kids?
Yes, two children with Keri Russell.
Is Shane Deary in the public eye?
No. He avoids media attention and focuses on construction work and family.
Conclusion
Shane Deary is often brought up in conversations about Keri Russell, but the truth is his life has little to do with the entertainment industry. He runs a construction company in Brooklyn, spends time raising his kids, and has stayed private since his divorce from Russell more than a decade ago. His story isn’t about fame. It’s about building — both in terms of homes and in terms of a steady life outside the spotlight.
Author Bio: Jordon
Jordon writes about people whose names show up in searches for one reason but whose lives are built around something entirely different. The focus is always on fact, clarity, and avoiding noise.