Sept. 14, 1942 ~ July 8, 2021
James Patrick Sheridan (Pat) (JP), 78, died peacefully in his sleep in Las Vegas, Nevada, after a brave fight with kidney and heart disease. Patrick was the third of seven children born to Jim and Pauline Sheridan. Pat attended the Meeker public school system, graduating from Meeker High School in 1960. Patrick excelled academically and athletically. He was Meeker’s first state champion wrestler. Patrick was also known as one of Meeker’s finest running backs; he was fast, elusive and fiercely competitive.
Patrick joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1961. He served on the USS Ticonderoga on the contiguous waters of Vietnam. He was honorably discharged as a Corporal E-4 three years later.
Patrick received a Bachelor of Arts in business education and a Master of Arts in vocational rehabilitation counseling from the University of Northern Colorado. He later attended New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas to further his education.
He spent the bulk of his professional career in the vocational educational field. His many and varied jobs included job development and placement specialist at the University of Southern Colorado, vocational rehabilitating counselor at the United States Department Of Veterans Affairs and the coordinator of special education at the Gallup-McKinley County Schools. He spent four years in Saudi Arabia as a professional development advisor for the Arabian American Oil Company. He worked with the company’s loss prevention program and coordinated training and continuing education programs.
Of his many accomplishments, Pat was probably most proud of the fact that he spent the last half of his life completely free of alcohol. He didn’t know a stranger and his focus was always on the person with whom he was talking. This trait instilled pride and confidence in his children.
Patrick married Nellie Money on June 11, 1989. They were later divorced. They had two beautiful children, Aaron Xavier and Janee Diane. Janee, and Patrick’s long-time love and companion, Elsa, were Patrick’s caretakers until the end of his life.
In addition to his children, three grandchildren Aaraya, Xavier and Noir and companion Elsa Swaby, he is survived by five living siblings: Ann Turner, Mark (Gretta) Sheridan, Paul (Shannon) Sheridan, Mary (Dennis) Simpson and Luke (Brian) Sheridan. He was preceded in death by his brother Phil and his wife Joan; brother-in-law Bill Turner; nephews Casey T. Turner and Angelo Theos; and his parents, Jim and Pauline Sheridan. Patrick has multiple nieces and nephews who will miss him dearly. Don Findley (Rooster) was a friend until the end.
Patrick’s body was donated to science. He asked that there be no services. His ashes will be interred at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Boulder City, Nevada, or beside his mother in Meeker.
