William Jeffrey Sheehan ’79
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November-December 2026
William Jeffrey Sheehan ’79 died at home in Cleveland on June 6. Jeff was born on December 23, 1957, and raised in Cleveland, where he was the class valedictorian at West Technical High School. At Dartmouth Jeff majored in economics and government, joined Sigma Nu, and participated in a language study abroad to France. He met his first wife, Helen, while she was working at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover. They both cared deeply about environmental issues so after graduation they moved to Florida and opened a solar panel business. Daughter Amanda graduated in 2013 from Dartmouth’s MALS program, and she and her children live in a house in Hanover Jeff helped build in 1979. Jeff later started an insurance company, then moved back to Cleveland to attend law school at Cleveland State, graduating in 1999. He practiced law for the remainder of his life. Jeff said his time at the College was particularly important, and he served as treasurer of the local Dartmouth club for 11 years. Jeff never shied away from a debate and could converse for hours on any number of subjects. The only thing he loved more than knowledge was his family, especially grandchildren Theo (7) and Mina (5), who survive him along with Amanda and longtime partner Mary Beth.