John E. Sheehy Jr.

John E. Sheehy Jr. of Amagansett died on November 15 after a short bout with congestive heart failure. He was 84.

Born April 17, 1924, in Mamaroneck to John and Patricia Sheehy, he moved with his family to Arlington, New Jersey, when he was 14 and attended school there. During World War II he left school two months before he was to graduate, at 18 years old, to join the U.S. Army. He served as a medic with the Fifth Army Infantry as they crossed over North Africa and into Italy and entered Rome just as the Allied forces were celebrating their victory.

He returned home from the war in 1947 and completed his high school credits at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. He married Helen Echardt, and went on to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education from Seton Hall University in New Jersey, where he was named Alumnus of the Year in 1977. He did postgraduate work at Rutgers University in New Jersey while teaching at middle schools in the area.

He was an administrative principal in Haworth, New Jersey, a superintendent and board secretary in North Caldwell, New Jersey, and eventually became a superintendent of schools in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey. A member and president of Phi Delta Kappa’s Montclair University chapter, he also served as an adjunct professor at Montclair University, teaching “The Psychology of Education.”

In 1979, he and his wife bought a summer home in Amagansett with thoughts of retiring there; but after only one summer they began to make plans for it to be their next home. By 1984 the two had moved permanently to Amagansett, where Mr. Sheehy immediately became involved in volunteer work. He was an aide at Southampton Hospital, a patient volunteer for East End Hospice, and a member and president of the Amagansett Beach Association.

In 1985, he joined St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Hampton and soon was a member of the vestry, as treasurer and senior warden. He was also a member and president of the Amagansett Library and most recently was devoted to the planning and completion of the library expansion.

Mr. Sheehy enjoyed playing golf and gardening, but survivors said that neither compared to the joy of being with his family.

In addition to his wife, Helen Sheehy of Amagansett, he is survived by two daughters, Polly Byrne of East Hampton and Susan Thorpe of Colorado; a son, Scott Sheehy of Florida; two granddaughters, Shana Thorpe Devins and Tara Sheehy; four grandsons, Gregory Thorpe, Adam Sheehy and Patrick and Carson Byrne; and two great-grandchildren, Grady and Leila Devins. Two sons, John and David Sheehy predeceased him.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 22, at 11 a.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Hampton.

In lieu of flowers, donations to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978 would be appreciated by the family.