Michael J. Sheehan, 63, of Prudence Island, died very unexpectedly on August 21, 2024 while sailing his Freedom “Cascade” in the Narragansett Bay on a picture perfect Newport summer day.
Mike was the beloved companion of Rong Rong Zhu with whom he shared a home on Prudence Island and, off season, they traveled extensively. In Mike’s lifetime, he journeyed all over the world.
Mike was born in Buffalo, NY, to Lorraine Wickenhiser Sheehan and the late William Sheehan. Relocating during his childhood to Belmont, NY, he completed high school there. He attended State University of NY at Morrisville, and later Rochester Institute of Technology, graduating in 1984 as an electrical engineer. He obtained a Master’s in Business Administration at Bryant University.
In 1986, Mike and his young wife Kathryn Whitney relocated from Rochester, NY to Newport where he worked in the fields of telecommunications, software design and marketing for his entire career. His only child, Aleah was born that same year, and he would list her as the greatest accomplishment of his life. He leaves Aleah and her husband Michael Kirchner, as well as his three cherished grandchildren; Cameron, Miles, and Riley Kirchner, all of Portsmouth, RI.
In addition to his mother Lorraine of Mt. Dora, FL, his daughter and her family, and companion Rong Rong, he leaves his five siblings: Sandy (Tom) Roeske of Vancouver, WA; William Sheehan (Stephanie) of Ooltewah, TN; Patty (Steve) Presutti of Belmont, NY; Kathy Sheehan Gambino of Frederick, MD; and Mary (Doug) Harless of Belle Meade, NJ; as well as many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends on Prudence Island and all over the world.
Mike was his best self close to nature. Sailing was very important to him. When traveling to Newport on a 12-seater plane in 1986, he spotted the breath-taking Narragansett Bay, and that was when he knew he would learn to sail. Other accomplishments were climbing Mr. Kilimanjaro, running the Boston Marathon, and hiking the Great Wall of China. One of Mike’s personal favorites was zip-lining to the tree house in Laos where he and Rong Rong spent one of their adventurous vacations.
When Aleah was a child, he took pride in instilling in her a love for the written word, especially non-fiction, and he has passed this on to his three grandchildren. He was a hands-on grandpa in every way. He enjoyed his fishing adventures with Cam, looking for interesting sea glass with Miles, and chasing crabs on the beach with Riley. A family favorite was quahogging, and they shared those clams with many. Mike insisted on water skills for his grands, and enrolled the boys at sailing camp as soon as they reached the initial age.
After Mike and Rong Rong bought the “red house” on Prudence Island, they became hosts to countless visits from mainlanders. Food and friendship were always abundant. Mike soon became very interested in preserving the natural unspoiled beauty of the island, and he began years of volunteer work with the Prudence Island Conservancy. He also volunteered for Meals on Wheels, and found personal fulfillment in meeting so many folks in that role.
There will be a private celebration of life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mike’s memory may be made to Prudence Conservancy, PO Box 115, Prudence, RI 02872 or Thrive for Life, 30 West 16th Street, NY, NY 10011.
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