Richard Sheffield

SHEFFIELD, RICHARD BURDICK 90, of Middletown, died peacefully at home on Monday, January 13, 2014, surrounded by his family. Born in Newport, R.I., on November 25, 1923, he was the son of the late William Paine Sheffield III and Agatha Spink Sheffield. He is survived by his wife Gay Glover Sheffield, his daughters Eulah Wooley Sheffield of Collinsville, Ct., Gay Glover Sheffield of Nome, Alaska, and Marie Burdick Sheffield of Bath, Maine. His grandchildren, Samuel Lambert, Suzanna Lambert, Caroline Lambert, and Hope Lambert, and his brother Edwin S. Sheffield of Philadelphia, Pa., also survive him. His sister, Agatha S. Littlefield, and his brother, William P. Sheffield, predeceased him. Richard was born in Newport, R.I., and graduated from Phillips Academy Andover, Yale University and Harvard Law School. He served in World War II aboard the USS Callaghan until she was sunk by a kamikaze off Okinawa. He later served on the USS Glennon. During his years of dedicated community service, he was a Rhode Island State Senator, founding member of the Naval War College Foundation, board member of the Redwood Library, chairman of the board of Newport Hospital, president of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, president of the Newport Public Library, director of the Newport Harbor Corp., director of the R.I chapter of Boy Scouts of America, chairman of the board of the Newport Electric Corp. and president of the R.I. Chapter of The Society of the Cincinnati. He was a fourth generation partner in the family law firm of Sheffield & Harvey. His funeral will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2014, at 11:00 am at St. Columba's Berkeley Memorial Chapel, Vaucluse Ave., Middletown, R.I. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Redwood Library, 50 Bellevue Ave., Newport, R.I.; the Naval War College Foundation, 686 Cushing Rd., Newport, R.I. or Visiting Nurse Services of Newport and Bristol Counties, 1184 East Main Rd., Portsmouth, R.I.