Joseph F. Sheehan, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on Sunday, July 21, 2024, at the age of 89. Joe is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Ann Marie (Hofbauer) Sheehan, his 6 children and their spouses, Katherine (Kitty) and her husband Andrew Pinard, Margaret (Peggy) and her husband Daniel Ball, Terence (Terry) and his wife Deborah (Liehe), Mary and her husband Michael Brady, Patricia (Patty) and her husband David Butterfield, and Maureen and her husband Andrew Griffin; his 16 grandchildren and 3 great-grandsons; his sister Rita and her husband Alex Monteiro; and many nieces and nephews. Joe was predeceased by his sisters Helen, Elizabeth Doherty, and Mary Edwards.

Joe was born in Brighton, MA, on July 5, 1935, and was raised in Somerville, MA. He graduated from Merrimack College with a Bachelor of Arts and then went on to Boston College, where he earned a Masters of Social Work. He moved to Newark, NJ, where he started his first job with United Way. He and Ann Marie were set up on a blind date by two priests in September 1963. They were engaged in November and married the next May. Joe and Ann Marie moved to Youngstown, OH, in 1964, where Joe started a new job with United Way. Their first two daughters were born there. In 1965, they moved to Pittsfield, MA, when he became the Director of the new Anti-Poverty Program. In 1967, they moved to Bloomfield, NJ, where he began working at the National Council on Aging. Their son was born there. They settled in Melrose, MA, in 1970 and welcomed three more daughters. Joe began working for the Massachusetts Dept. of Elder Affairs until his retirement in 2000. In 2007, after seeing all their kids settled with their own families, Joe and Ann Marie moved to Atkinson, NH.

During his 37 years in Melrose, Joe was an active member of St. Patrick's Parish in Stoneham as a lector and a CCD teacher. After joining the parish at Holy Angels Church of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Plaistow, NH, he continued to serve in these roles for many years.

Joe was devoted to God and to his family, and he was always grateful for his happy marriage to Ann Marie. He spent his life in service to others and was never afraid to make the right choice, no matter how difficult. His children loved to tease him about his singing voice, his favorite sayings, and his fondness for formality and structure. This was a bit of a losing battle after having 6 kids and 16 grandkids, but he never gave up. He was loved by so many and we will miss him always.

The Sheehan family would like to extend their thanks to the staff at High Pointe Hospice in Haverhill, MA; the staff at Lowell General Hospital, Saints Campus, in Lowell, MA; and especially the kind and hard-working staff at The Arbors at Dracut in Dracut, MA.

Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, July 28, 2024, from 4 pm to 6 pm at the Brookside Chapel and Funeral Home, 116 Main St, Plaistow, NH. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, July 29, 2024, at 10 am at the Holy Angels Church of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish, 8 Atkinson Depot Rd, Plaistow, NH, followed by interment at St. Joseph Cemetery, 892 Hilldale Avenue, Haverhill, MA. In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Luke's Church of Holy Angels Parish or the St. Luke's Food Pantry.