Stockdale VFD to host Sheehan’s funeral

By CHRISTINE HAINES

chaines@yourmvi.com

Funeral arrangements for California police Chief Tim Sheehan will take place this week at Stockdale Volunteer Fire Department’s social hall.

Although Sheehan was a Brownsville native and raised his family in California Borough, the Stockdale fire department reached out to the family to offer its social hall for the visitation Tuesday and funeral service Wednesday. 

Stockdale Fire Chief Tom Wilkinson said Sheehan was a fellow firefighter and was part of the local community as a part-time RESA police officer and the former school resource officer in the California Area School District.

“With him being a resource officer, Tim knew all of our kids,” Wilkinson said. “We canceled bingo and we canceled our first fish fry”

Wilkinson said it was just a week ago that Sheehan was joking with everyone at the fire hall as he was working as a RESA police officer.

“He worked Tuesday nights when we had bingo, so last Tuesday he was here and we were joking around and now this Tuesday we will be celebrating his life,” Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson said the social hall, which has held as many as 1,100 people for a dance, has been thoroughly cleaned and all of the tables have been taken down to accommodate the anticipated funeral crowd and facilitate social distancing. Wilkinson said there should be plenty of parking.

“It’s a pretty big lot. We actually have a helipad in the middle of it,” he said.

Fire trucks and police cars will be parked on the streets around the fire hall.

“They’re calling for snow, so we have people on standby with quads and snowblowers,” Wilkinson said. “Wednesday for the service we’re setting up speakers for the people outside.”

Blue ribbons will be hung on the streets around the fire department as well, similar to the ones that are being placed in downtown California in Sheehan’s honor.

Black bunting is draped on the Brownsville No. 1 fire hall where Sheehan got his start in public service at age 15 as a junior firefighter and on the borough building in Brownsville, which was his hometown and where he once served as a police officer. 

Sheehan, 50, died Thursday from an apparent heart attack. Local police and fire vehicles escorted his body from Monongahela Valley Hospital to Mariscotti Funeral Home in California, which is handling the arrangements. Sheehan served as a California Borough police officer for 15 years, becoming chief two years ago.

Visitation will be held at the social hall from 2-4 pm and 6-8 p.m. Tuesday. A blessing service will begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the hall with Fr. James Bump as celebrant.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the Western Pennsylvania Police Benevolent Foundation, P.O. Box 444, South Park, PA 15129.