Eileen Sheldon Of Sarasota, Florida, And Formerly of Northampton, Dies July 17

Eileen Sheldon died peacefully in her home in Sarasota, Florida, with her family by her side on July 17. She was 97.

Born in Manhattan on May 24, 1924, to John and Catherine Beebe, Ms. Sheldon grew up in St. Albans, Queens and moved to Wildwood Lake, Northampton. With her husband Leonard Sheldon, a noted architect, they raised six children in the country where they became active members in their community.

Ms. Sheldon led an exciting life including becoming an airline hostess for Trans World Airlines and was crowned Miss TWA 1948. She was an active member of the Long Island Early Fliers Club. Ms. Sheldon had a lifelong love of the theater, beginning in high school and later in summer stock in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Ogunquit, Maine. She starred in over two dozen musicals with the North Fork Community Theater in Mattituck, and throughout the East End.

She was an avid golfer, once scoring a hole in one at Misty Creek Country Club in Sarasota, Florida, where she retired 20 years ago. Ms. Sheldon felt a special connection to Sarasota through the memorial statue of the sailor and the nurse that is on display at the Sarasota harborfront. Ms. Sheldon was in Times Square the day World War II ended. She can be seen over the right shoulder of the sailor in the iconic Eisenstaedt photo that captured “the kiss” and the celebration in Times Square.

After 31 years working as the executive assistant to the manager of Gabreski Airport in Westhampton, she was recognized for her decades of service when Suffolk County dedicated a road at the airport in her name: Sheldon Way. At the unveiling, Ms. Sheldon exclaimed “Oh, great! You’re also honoring my husband, Leonard. He helped save this airport when it was threatened” (with being sold in the mid-1970s).

She was predeceased by her husband, Leonard Sheldon; her brother John Beebe; sister Eleanor O’Brien; and son-in-law Dan Conway.

She is survived by her six children, Robert of Sarasota, Gregory and his wife Leslie of Groton, Kathleen Stallmer and her husband Dan of Albany, Christopher of Northampton, Constance Conway of Northampton, and Gary of Westhampton; her five grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Ms. Sheldon will be celebrated at a Mass of Christian burial to be held on Saturday, July 31, at 10 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Riverhead. She will be laid to rest at Calverton National Cemetery with her World War II veteran husband.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Ms. Sheldon’s name to Visiting Angels, visitingangels.com/sarasota, or the Tidewell Hospice Foundation, www.Tidewell.org, would be appreciated by the family.