Neighbors, friends, and state political figures grieve deaths of Cooper CEO and wife in fire

SKILLMAN, N.J. - Along stately and tree-lined Meadow Run Drive in this Princeton suburb, neighbors of John P. Sheridan Jr., the CEO of Cooper University Health System, and his wife, Joyce, struggled Monday to come to terms with the deaths of the well-regarded couple in a weekend blaze.

The deaths also rattled the hospital system's executives in Camden and politicians in Trenton.

The couple had raised their family and lived for more than four decades in the quiet Central New Jersey community.

"They were well thought of," said Joe Stencel, 69, a retired Princeton University civil and environmental engineering research professor, whose two children grew up playing with the Sheridan boys. "It's just surreal to us."

Autopsies are scheduled for Tuesday, when authorities are expected to release preliminary results of the investigation. The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office is leading the probe and authorities have not indicated whether the fire appeared to be accidental or suspicious.

Sheridan, 72, and his wife, Joyce, 69, a retired South Brunswick schoolteacher, died early Sunday in a smoky fire in their second-story bedroom.

Firefighters found the couple unresponsive in the bedroom in the yellow Colonial house.

Fire Chief Justin Kabis of Montgomery Township Volunteer Fire Company No. 2 said his crew assisted at the fire, which he said was reported about 6:15 a.m., at first as a "smoke condition." He declined to discuss details.

John Sheridan was pronounced dead at the scene, his wife a short time later at Princeton Medical Center.

Neighbor Kristen Forma, who lives across the street, said she awoke just before 6:30 a.m. to the smell of smoke pouring through her open windows on the warm morning. Minutes later, she heard fire trucks rolling into the neighborhood. Smoke billowed from the Sheridans' bedroom.

"No flames," said Forma, 40, a teacher, adding that she saw the couple taken from the home on stretchers. "It was heartbreaking."

The couple, parents of four grown sons and who had several grandchildren, were remembered across the state Monday for their dedication to rebuilding Camden and their support for Cooper and Rowan University.

"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of John and Joyce Sheridan. John was an outstanding public servant, a leader in the health-care industry and a true New Jersey treasure," Gov. Christie said in a statement.

"Joyce was an outstanding teacher, wife, and mother. Their family and loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers as they deal with the loss of these two special people."

In Trenton, the Assembly held a moment of silence for the Sheridans before its voting session Monday.

On the Assembly floor, Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R., Union) noted that John Sheridan "gave energy and life to the state of New Jersey."

Majority Leader Louis D. Greenwald (D., Camden) recalled Sheridan as a "remarkable man" who "cared about public policy and wanted to make a difference."

John Sheridan worked in state government for a number of years, but his most recent passion, Greenwald said, was rebuilding Camden. "John Sheridan believed in the hope of that city and the hope of those children," he said.

Paul Katz, dean of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, lauded Sheridan as a "true gentleman."

"John was a quiet, behind-the-scenes colleague and a cherished friend whose accomplishments were significant and far-reaching," Katz said.

Rowan University president Ali A. Houshmand called John Sheridan "a statesman" and credited him with establishing the first new medical school in New Jersey in 30 years.

"He was the kind of guy who had a massive impact, especially for Camden," Houshmand said. "He had a great knowledge of the politics of New Jersey. He knew whom to turn to."

At Cooper University Hospital, grief counselors were made available to employees. Sheridan, planning on retiring soon from the hospital post, had been at work Friday and was expected back this week.

"This is a tragic loss not only for the Cooper family but our entire region," said Joseph W. Devine, president and CEO of the Kennedy Health System.

Shortly after Devine was named to his current position about a year ago, he was not surprised to receive a call from Sheridan offering his support. "That was just his style. John was always the consummate professional. He was just such a good man," Devine said.

Betsy Ryan, chief executive of the New Jersey Hospital Association, remembered John Sheridan as a passionate advocate for the underserved and uninsured who relied on Cooper - one of the state's safety-net hospitals - for health care. Sheridan represented Cooper on the association's board for six years.

"He was a very talented and bright man," said Ryan. Ryan said his legacy includes Cooper's recently launched partnership with the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

"He was an innovator and forward-thinker who refused to accept 'That is the way we have always done it' as a legitimate health-care answer," New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute president and CEO David Knowlton said in a statement. "His profound influence on New Jersey health care cannot be measured and will not be fully known for years to come."

In a career spanning 40 years, John Sheridan worked in state government, law, and health care. Before joining Cooper, he was a senior partner and cochairman of the Morristown law firm of Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti L.L.P., which he joined in May 1985.

He served for a number of years as general counsel to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the Carrier Clinic. He also served on the board of trustees of Carrier, a not-for-profit psychiatric hospital in Belle Mead, for 25 years.

He served as state transportation commissioner under Gov. Thomas H. Kean, and chairman of the board of the New Jersey Transit Corp. from 1982 to 1985.

Under his leadership, Route 55 in South Jersey was completed, as well as I-78 and I-287 in North Jersey, Kean said. The state also established a Transportation Trust Fund, which was modeled by other states.

"We had a tremendous record of accomplishments, and John had a great deal to do with that," Kean said. "He was a tremendous asset to state government."

Earlier in his career, Sheridan served as a deputy state attorney general, assistant counsel to Gov. William T. Cahill, and counsel to the New Jersey Senate minority.

Jack Bennett, a spokesman for the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, said officials were waiting for a preliminary report from the medical examiner before releasing more information. Arson, forensic, and major crimes detectives were called to the scene, standard procedure for a fire fatality.

The fire was contained mostly to the bedroom. Much of the home's exterior appeared untouched, but two missing windows on the top floor revealed the slightest glimpse into a fire-damaged room.

Neighbors said the couple had lived on Meadow Run since the 1970s. One saw Joyce Sheridan last week decorating the home for Halloween.

A day after the fire, the lawn was still adorned with ghosts and witches. Straw was scattered along the sidewalk beneath yellow police tape cordoning off the home.

"It doesn't make logical sense," said one neighbor.

Anyone with information about the deaths or fire is being asked to call the county tip line, 888-577-8477.