Obituary of William R. Sheerin

William “Bill” Robert Sheerin, age 93, died Tuesday, October 6, 2020 in West Hartford, Connecticut. Visitation is Thursday, October 15 from 4:00 - 8:00 pm at M.A. Connell Funeral Home, Huntington Station, N.Y. Mass of Christian Burial will occur Friday, October 16 at 9:45 am at the Church of St. Patrick in Huntington, N.Y. The burial will be at the Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury, N.Y. The first of five children, Bill was born July 6, 1927 in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Brooklyn Preparatory High School. At 17-years-old he enlisted in World War II, serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS McCook. He graduated post-war in 1947. He studied business at Fordham University and graduated in 1951. He began his career at Grumman Aerospace and was sent to Harvard University for post-graduate work. He ended his career at Sikorsky Aircraft in 1994. Bill married Margaret Patricia “Pat” Geraghty on September 15, 1951. Together they had 11 children. Pat tragically passed away from breast cancer on October 1, 1971. Bill remarried to Berenice Reiss on July 8, 1972. Bill was a devout Catholic and an active member of St. Bernard’s in Levittown, N.Y. He thoroughly enjoyed parties and had an appreciation for music, cooking, and Johnny Walker Black. Bill was an avid reader, completing over 1,500 books in his lifetime. He penned a collection of essays that he proudly bound and distributed. He was a passionate sports fan, in particular, the Mets and the Giants, and he relished playing golf. He is remembered as a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. Bill is preceded in death by Margaret Patricia (Geraghty) Sheerin, Mary and William Geraghty, William and Rosemary Sheerin, John “Buddy” and Eileen Brett, Angela Sienko, Elliot and Peter Brennan, Frank and Timothy Halsach, Maureen Haslach Rankin, Gene Sr., Elaine, Thomas, Cathy, Mary, and Gene Lawless Jr., Timothy Sr. and Tim Reilly Jr., Meghan Reilly Schaefbaeur, Maryellen Reiss Driscoll and Sean Brennan. Bill is survived by his wife Berenice Reiss Sheerin, his sisters Patricia Haslach and Margaret “Peggy” Reilly and their families, his children; Bill, Kevin, Mary, Thomas, Nancy, Timothy, Brian, Christopher, Neil, Elizabeth, and Robert; his stepchildren Brenda, Charles, Patricia, Timothy and Terence as well as their spouses, 19 Sheerin grandchildren, 15 Reiss grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.