Lillian Sheehan, 94, of Highland, passed away after a short illness on Thursday September 15, 2022, at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie.
Lillian had a long and wonderful life. Born May 8, 1928, in Astoria Queens, she was the daughter of the late Frank and Lillian (Maenner) Goetz. She lived in Elmhurst Queens and then Garden City until moving to Highland in 2015. She grew up in the Great Depression. As a teenager during World War II she served as an aircraft warning volunteer. She often spoke about meeting Eleanor Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy
In 1957, Lillian was married to John Sheehan, an attorney, and World War II Veteran. They had over 38 happy years together before his death in 1995.
Lillian graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Mathematics from New York University. In the early 1960s during the beginning stages of computers, Lillian worked as a computer programmer for Sinclair Oil and then Buck Consultants in Manhattan. She was a pioneer in her field and served as a role model for women in technology and business. She retired in 1994 but continued to freelance in software development well into her 80s. In retirement, she enjoyed watching classic movies and playing solitaire on her computer.
Survivors include her devoted son John Sheehan, his wife Susan Sheehan, and her grandsons John Sheehan and Ryan Sheehan of Clintondale, NY; her brother Frank Goetz and his children Kathy, Frank, Bill, John and Jim Goetz, Geralyn Wasz, and Marianne Doan; Frank’s 19 grandchildren; and devoted friends Carol Mendoza, David, and Linda Avrick.
Lillian will be laid to rest at the Calverton National Cemetery, 210 Princeton Blvd. Calverton, New York next to her husband, John on Monday September 26, 2022, at 1:30 p.m.