LESTER E. SHERIDAN

Lester E. Sheridan VALPARAISO, IN - Lester E. Sheridan, age 93, of Valparaiso, IN, passed away March 20, 2018 in Valparaiso. Born December 19, 1924 in Whittington, IL, Les was the son of the late Phillip and Cecil (Cape) Sheridan. He was the fifth of nine children. Lester is survived byhis sister Mavis Moore; brother Buddy (Opal) Burton; daughters Sandra (Jim) Austgen and Pam (Rick) Sedlacek; grandchildren Grant (Ashley) Austgen, Brad Austgen, Chris (Angela) Sedlacek, and Emily Sedlacek; and numerous nieces, nephews, and great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his wife Beverly Sheridan and her children Debbie (Tripp) Waldo, Mike (Tammy) Cummings, Candy (Joe) Gacsy, and Scott (Diane) Cummings; and numerous nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. At age 17, Lester joined the U.S. Marines, serving in the South Pacific during World War II where his Marine Fighting Squadron Two Hundred Fourteen received the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism in action at Guadalcanal and other locations. He completed his military service as an instructor at the Naval Training Station in Chicago. After that he was a bus driver with Gary City Bus Company. Lester then served 19 years in the Indiana State Police and was the first police chief of Merrillville, IN. He was Chief of Investigations, Safety & Security at the Royal Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Lester worked at INDOT from 1990 to 2017, first serving as Operations Foreman, then Manager of the Gary Sub-District, and finally as a Field Investigator with the Traffic Department at the LaPorteDistrict Complex up to his retirement at age 92. Visitation will be held Friday, March 23, 2018 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM at BURNS FUNERAL HOME, CROWN POINT, IN. A graveside service will follow at Angelcrest Cemetery, in Valparaiso. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Marine Corps Sponsored Toys for Tots made payable to Dunes Leathernecks or Vale Park Animal Hospital. Online condolences may be made to the family at http://www.burnsfuneral.com.