TERRE HAUTE —
Tim Sheehan came out of retirement Wednesday to take on a job that has a long tradition in his family.
He was selected at a Tuesday evening caucus of Vigo County’s Democrat precinct committeemen to fill out the term of county surveyor, an office that his late brother Michael Sheehan had been elected to for four terms.
Mike Sheehan died unexpectedly about three weeks ago. For his brother Tim, being selected to serve in the office is “bittersweet.”
“There’s been a connection with our family and the surveyor’s office for many years,” Tim said following his first day on the job. His father Francis worked in the surveyor’s office many years ago, and then Mike started working in the office under then-surveyor Charlie Shilling. When Shilling passed away, Mike was selected to fill out that four-year term, and then he was elected to the office multiple times — 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010.
Tim Sheehan had retired as principal of Dixie Bee Elementary School at the end of the 2007-08 school year after 14 years as an administrator and 42 years total with the Vigo County School Corp. He decided to come out of retirement after a family conference following Mike’s death.
“It all came about because of the passing of my brother, and because my family has been involved in politics all my life,” Tim said.
Their sister, Janice “Tootie” Morris is the Democrat director in the Voter Registration Office at the courthouse. And their mother had worked in the courthouse for many years.
So it was with the blessing of his family that Tim decided to apply for the position, to be decided by a caucus of the party. Two other people also applied, but one withdrew his name. Of the 59 precinct committeemen who attended the caucus — the county has 87 precincts — Sheehan was selected unanimously.
“We were all behind him,” Morris said of her brother Tim. “So were Mike’s two sons Matt and Michael.”
Matt Sheehan is a local attorney at the firm of Smock and Etling, while Michael Sheehan is a dermatologist in Columbus, Ind.
Democrat Party Chairman Joe Etling said it was hard to conduct Tuesday’s caucus under the circumstances of Mike Sheehan’s death, and everyone present had a heavy heart.
“It seems appropriate that his brother — a dedicated educator and administrator and strong Democrat — for him to be in the position to be elected to fill the vacancy is very special to the Sheehan family,” Etling said.
Tim Sheehan said that Wednesday — his first day on the job — was a crash course in everything that a surveyor’s office does. The surveyor does not have to be a licensed surveyor. The main responsibility is retaining records for the county on survey maps and markers, and contracting with surveyors to do work as is needed. Three of the six office staff check the accuracy of survey markers in all of the county’s 12 townships.
“Every day you learn more,” Tim said, “and I will shadow my employees so I know the job description of each person in the office and why they do it.”
He said he has not decided about future political runs for the office. The current term expires Dec. 31, 2014, so he has more than two years to become acclimated to the job.
“I have been here less than 24 hours,” he said Wednesday afternoon. “That decision may be made down the road. I just want to do an excellent job for the citizens of Vigo County, in memory of my brother.”
Reporter Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or lisa.trigg@tribstar.com. Follow her on Twitter@TribStarLisa.
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Caucus taps Tim Sheehan to take over as county surveyor
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