Eileen Deborah Sheahan’s “radiant smile and even bigger heart” reached all corners of her close-knit family.
Sometimes, she looked after one of her cousin’s toddlers. Other times, she’d talk with one of her older uncles and aunts. In either situation, she was just as joyful.
Ms. Sheahan was months away from graduating college when she died in a skiing accident Jan. 27. She was 22.
“She accomplished so much in her short life,” Patti Sheahan, her mother, told the Sun-Times. “She’s an inspiration to us and an example of a life well-lived, even though she was only 22 years old.”
Kathy O’Brien Caplice, one of Ms. Sheahan’s aunts, remembers her niece as someone who was “kind to everyone.”
“We will miss seeing Eileen walk into a room and having the entire room light up,” O’Brien Caplice said. “We will miss her amazing smile, and the lightness and joy she brought with her wherever she went.”
“When Eileen talked to you, she really listened,” O’Brien Caplice said.
Ms. Sheahan was skiing on the Exhibition run at Aspen Highlands in Colorado on Saturday, Jan. 27, when she crashed into a tree, according to a statement from Jeff Hanle of the Aspen Skiing Co. She was taken to the Aspen Valley Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Ms. Sheahan grew up in Evanston. She attended grade school at The Academy at St. Joan of Arc and high school at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, according to an obituary posted by her parents.
She was preparing to graduate in May from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in economics and was a member of the Alpha Phi International sorority.
“We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Eileen Sheehan,” Laura Blake Jones, the university’s associate vice president for student life and dean of students, said in a statement. “Our campus community mourns her tragic loss. We send our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, classmates and all those who knew her.”
Ms. Sheahan’s roommates, sorority sisters and other close friends were given emotional support by the university, Blake Jones said. Counseling services were available to help additional students and staff.
In a joint statement, the Sheahan and O’Brien families said Ms. Sheahan “touched endless lives.”
Ms. Sheahan’s family carries a tradition of public service — her grandfather was Cook County sheriff and her mother is a Cook County circuit judge. Her father is an attorney with the Smith Gambrell Russell law firm.
When she was away at college, Ms. Sheahan wrote notes to her brother Michael — one of three younger siblings — and wrapped them around a chocolate bar for him to find. On her mother’s birthday, she had lunch and a latte delivered to her.
“Eileen was a beautiful and accomplished young lady who was looking forward to graduation,” O’Brien Caplice said. “She was also humble and self-deprecating, which only made her more endearing.”
Last Thanksgiving, Michael Sheahan, Ms. Sheahan’s grandfather and former Cook County sheriff, drove her to catch a train back to Ann Arbor.
Michael Sheahan, who has 21 grandchildren, said “it wasn’t easy to spend individual time with each one,” but he cherished the time he spent with Ms. Sheahan as they spoke about her life and waited for the train.
“She was at a great point in her life,” said Michael Sheahan, known as “Pops” among family members. “It is so sad, it was cut short, but her smile and laughter will be remembered by her family and friends forever.”
Ms. Sheahan enjoyed cooking, laughing and traveling. She spent a semester studying in Barcelona, Spain.
“Eileen had the most profound effect on those around her during her short time on earth,” Patti and T.J. Sheahan, Ms. Sheahan’s parents, wrote in her obituary. “She was graceful, kind, hilarious, beautiful and brilliant.”
“We feel blessed to have had 22 beautiful years with our cherished daughter and comforted at this time to feel her presence and love all around us,” Ms. Sheahan’s parents added in a later statement.
Visitation for Ms. Sheahan will be 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Donnellan Family Funeral Home in Skokie. A Mass is planned for 10:30 a.m. Monday at Old Saint Patrick’s Church in the West Loop.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Eileen Sheahan Memorial Scholarship at The Academy at St. Joan of Arc or Loyola Academy, her family said.
In addition to her parents, brother, aunt and grandfather, Ms. Sheahan is survived by her sisters, Erin and Margaret; grandmother, Nancy; and many cousins, uncles, aunts, relatives and friends.
