Thomas Gale Sheehan, 62, passed away peacefully at home on August 10, 2024.
Tom was born on August 2, 1962 in Quincy, Illinois to Barbara (Forbes) Sheehan and Dale Sheehan. He was the youngest of six siblings and attended elementary school in Quincy, IL, Canton, MO, Sunnyvale, CA and graduated from Quincy Senior High School.
As a young adult, Tom lived in Plainville, IL and later in Blytheville, AR. He and his first wife, Karen, had a son and a daughter named Matthew and Amy.
Tom was an extremely talented individual. There was nothing he couldn’t install, repair or rebuild. He was an industrial mechanic, a general certified HVAC technician and a computer genius – both at building from scratch and with extensive programming skills. He was great at troubleshooting all kinds of things. He was very curious by nature and loved challenges.
He really enjoyed all of his jobs: General Mills, City Electric, All-Line Equipment, Premium Waters, Peters Heating and Air, and finally, self-employment. He renovated countless homes, both for other owners and for his own rental properties.
Tom always said he found his passions and that’s why he never worked a day in his life. No matter how demanding a project was, how many hours/days/weeks it took, how hot or cold the environment was, or how dirty he got, it was all fun and games for him.
It was rare that Tom wasn’t busy, but when he finally sat down, he liked to play. He also enjoyed fishing and relaxing outside in the garden. He liked animals and nature.
Tom and Launa Sheehan and Tom’s stepson Alexander have shared a home since 2014. In 2019, Tom and Launa married in their garden on the terrace of the tree house built by Tom.
Tom was loving, honest, generous, kind and had a wonderful sense of humor. He was very patient and had enough integrity for all of us.
Tom is survived by his wife Launa, daughter Amy Sheehan and son Matthew Sheehan, both of Blytheville, Arkansas; his stepson Alexander La Velle of Quincy, Illinois; two grandchildren, Owen and Nomy Sheehan of Blytheville, Arkansas; his brother Roy Powell of Springfield, Illinois; his brother Dale Sheehan (Tammy) of Mendon, Illinois; his brother Melvin Powell of Quincy, Illinois; his brother-in-law James Evans of Quincy, Illinois; his family friend and caregiver Vicki Gray of Quincy, Illinois; several aunts, uncles, cousins, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his mother Barbara Jean Sheehan, his father Dale Sheehan, his sister Marsha Evans and his brother Jay Powell.
A celebration of Tom’s life will be held on Thursday, August 15th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the O’Donnell-Cookson Life Celebration Home, 1435 State Street, Quincy, IL. A memorial service will immediately follow at 2:00 p.m. with Dr. Tom Dickerson officiating. Burial will follow at Greenmount Cemetery in Quincy, IL.
Online condolences and video tributes can be viewed at www.ODonnellCookson.com.