Maurice Wakefield Sheridan

Maurice Wakefield Sheridan April 11, 1921 - June 22, 2008 Maurice Wakefield Sheridan, age 88, of Fort Collins, Colorado, died on Sunday, June 22 at his home. Maurice W. Sheridan was born April 11, 1921, in Wellfleet, Nebraska, to Wake and Elsie Sheridan. He married Vera Loutzenhiser on September 3, 1946, in Casper, Wyoming. Maurice tried his hand at many jobs - farming, ranching, paperboy, grounds crew maintenance, policeman, accounting instructor. In June of 1955, after graduating from The University of Colorado with a B.A. in Psychology and an M.S. in Accounting, Maurice worked for General Electric at the Hanford Atomic Works in Richland, Washington. In 1956 the family moved to Grand Junction where Maurice went to work for the Atomic Energy Commission as a staff accountant. He was promoted to Chief of the Accounting Branch in 1960, leaving that job in 1968 moving to Anchorage, Alaska, where he went to work for the City of Anchorage, then for the Alaska Railroad as the Assistant Accounting Branch Chief. Maurice was a bombardier on a B24 with the 13th Air Force during World War II. As a First Lieutenant, he was awarded two Presidential Citations and a fifth Bronze Oak-Leaf Cluster (air medal) for "meritorious achievement while participating in sustained operational flight missions in the South Pacific area from 17 April 1944 to 8 May 1944, . . ." Maurice was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying fishing and hunting. Maurice traveled to Alaska 11 times. Six of those times, one or more of his grandchildren accompanied him. After retirement in 1973 he devoted much time to his family, moving to Flagler, Colorado, to care for his mother Elsie Geiken. After her death in 1975, Maurice and Vera moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, to be near his kids and grandkids. Until macular degeneration took over his eyesight, Maurice enjoyed reading the Alaska Magazine, National Geographic and The Rocky Mountain News. He tried never to miss an Avalanche Hockey game, knowing who was injured, who was traded, and who the Av's would be playing next. Maurice considered his cat Sitka part of his family. Maurice was intelligent, kind, generous and a sweetheart of a man. Maurice is survived by his son Warren (Bev) Sheridan, his daughter Arlene (Ben) Connell, his son Ronald (Jamie) Sheridan, all of Fort Collins, Colorado; four grandchildren, Kathleen (Bill) Franklin of Spokane, Washington; Jonathan (Michelle) Hooker of Grand Junction, Colorado; Riley Sheridan of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Brena Sheridan of Denver, Colorado; three great grandchildren, Tiffany Lee and Samantha Lee, both of Loveland, Colorado, and Jack Hooker of Grand Junction, Colorado; and a step sister Bernice Maloney of Flagler, Colorado. Maurice was preceded in death by his wife Vera; his mother Elsie Geiken and step father Hillert Gieken; his father Wake Wakefield Sheridan; his son Darrel Maurice Sheridan; his granddaughter Diana Lee; his grandson Jason Patrick Hooker; his step brother Stan Geiken; and his step sister Delores Ferdig. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Maurice's name to St. Labre Indian School, the Fort Collins Cat Rescue, or a charity of your choice in care of Love Funeral Home P.O. Box 188 Limon, Colorado. A memorial service will be held Friday, June 27 at 10:30 a.m. at the Flagler Baptist Church, Flagler, Colorado with Pastor Alvin Wilkerson, officiating. Burial of cremains will follow with military honors in the Flagler Cemetery. Love Funeral Home of Limon, CO was in charge of services. Please visit our website at www.lovefuneralhomes.com to sign our online guest book or to send the family your message of condolence.