Michael W. Sheeley

Michael W. Sheeley CHESAPEAKE - Retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Michael Wayne Sheeley, 49, passed away March 5, 2009, after a long two-year battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He graduated from Doss High School of Louisville, Ky., received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from St. Leo College and retired from the Navy after 25 years of service. He was a Kentucky basketball fan and played many sports while supporting his three sons in all of their sporting and scouting activities. He was preceded in death by his father, Melvin W. Sheeley and is survived by his wife of 29 years, Catherine Sheeley; sons, Joshua Sheeley of Richmond, Matthew Sheeley and his wife Jessica of Portsmouth and William Sheeley of Chesapeake; mother and stepfather, Martha and Charles Stewart of Scottsville, Ind.; brother, David Sheeley and his wife Rachel of Marysville, Ohio; a grandson, Hayden Sheeley; a special aunt, Jean Hartz of Louisville, Ky.; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. While on active duty he served on the USS Dewey (DDG45) Charleston, S.C.; Naval Technical Training Center, Millington, Tenn.; Naval Special Warfare Group Two Mobile Communications, Little Creek; Naval Special Warfare Group Two - Staff, Little Creek; USS Wasp (LHD-1), Norfolk; and Fleet Surveillance Support Command, Chesapeake. Following his military career, Michael worked for the Naval Supply Center, NOB, as a computer technician and later with the Department of Defense at Northwest River as a quality assurance rep. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served faithfully in many callings, most recently as Bishop of the Deep Creek Ward, Chesapeake. He enjoyed working with the scouting and youth programs and influenced many young men and women along the way. A funeral will be held in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4759 Bennetts Pasture Road, Suffolk, VA 23435, Thursday at 1 p.m. Burial with military honors will follow in the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery, Suffolk. The family will receive friends in the Chesapeake chapel of H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., 1416 Cedar Road, Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may take the form of contributions to the Lupus Foundation or the American Lung Association.