Eileen Sheehan

Eileen Sheehan, 95, died peacefully on August 6, 2016 at the Kansas City Hospice House. Eileen lived in the Waldo area of Kansas City, Missouri for 62 years before moving to Villa Ventura 6 years ago. Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, August 9, 2016 at St. Elizabeth Church with a visitation prior from 9:30 – 11 a.m. at the church. Burial at Holy Angels Cemetery, Basehor, Kansas.

Eileen Sack was born in Seneca, Kansas, the second child of Christopher and Agnes Waller Sack. Their family grew to include 13 children, 9 girls and 4 boys. Eileen graduated from high school and moved to KCK to attend St. Margaret’s School of Nursing. While in school Eileen met and dated Bernard Sheehan. Bernie entered the Army in 1941 and Eileen followed in 1942. When they were both on leave, they decided to marry. The only day and time available for their wedding at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca was during the daily mass for the grade school students. They married early in the morning of October 10, 1944, in their Army uniforms, before hundreds of grade school guests.

Eileen served as a nurse on the USS Shamrock, a hospital ship traversing the Mediterranean between Italy and North Africa. One of Eileen’s fondest memories from that time was the papal audience she attended. The nurses were escorted to the front of the crowd, seated on the stage and greeted personally by Pope Pius XII.

Eileen and Bernie’s son, Michael, was born in 1946. Eileen loved being a mother and reported spending the first 3 years of Mike’s life sitting on the floor and playing with him. Eileen worked nights at St. Margaret’s Hospital in order to be home with Mike after school. After Bernie died in 1972, Eileen began work at St. Mary’s Hospital, retiring in 1983. In retirement she had more time for two hobbies she loved -- playing bridge and Scrabble with friends and family. She was fiercely independent and lived in her own home, shoveling snow, cutting grass and gardening until she was 89. She made the decision to move to Villa Ventura and decided a year later that she should stop driving.

Throughout her life she enjoyed strong relationships with her family and friends, but her favorite people were always Mike, and his children, Rachel and David. Eileen also spent many hours providing care and comfort to family members when they were ill or dying. Many stories of her kindness and support were shared by family and friends during the past week. Eileen was committed to her Catholic faith and volunteered in a variety of roles at St. Elizabeth Parish, including as a member of the Friends in Christ. She drove other elderly parishioners to the grocery store and doctor’s appointments and she also made countless home visits to the homebound.

Eileen was preceded in death by her husband Bernie, her sisters Kay, Virginia, Ellie, Rita, and Millie and her brothers Raymond, Bob, Charlie and Leon. She is survived by her sisters Sally Koehler (Jim), Joann Davis and Mary Kirkman and her sisters-in-law Joan Sack and Ouida Sack. She is also survived by her son Michael Sheehan (Anne), granddaughter Rachel Sheehan, grandson David Sheehan (Amy), step-granddaughter Emily Dorothy (Doug), step-grandson Luke Smith (Adriana) and step-greatgrandchildren Isobel and Colin Dorothy and Sabine Smith. Many nieces, nephews, and friends will also miss her dearly.

To Eileen’s friends, old and new, her family would like to thank you for all of the joy you brought to her life. To the Villa Ventura staff, thank you for the care and attention you gave Eileen. To the staff at Kansas City Hospice, thank you for the care you gave to Eileen and her family during the past 2 weeks.