Kevin Sheets

Sheets, Kevin 5/6/1949 - 8/10/2020 Naples, FL Kevin Andrew Sheets of Naples, FL and formerly of Ann Arbor, MI and Goshen, IN died peacefully in his home early in the morning of August 10, 2020 at the age of 71. Kevin had been struggling physically in recent years due to lung disease caused by Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, an inherited disorder. He was receiving medical support at home and his passing was neither sudden nor surprising for him or his family. Kevin was born in 1949 in Elkhart, IN to Donald and Mary Jane Jones Sheets. He was preceded by siblings born to Donald and Florence Wiser Sheets and followed by a younger sister. He grew up in Goshen, IN, where his parents owned a business, Specialized Mill Supply. Growing up, Kevin loved his friends, family, and time outdoors on both land and water. He hunted, fished, sailed, and water-skied. One friend remembers him skiing barefoot. In high school he played golf and football, though he always loved Indiana basketball, which he both watched and played recreationally. Kevin was as mentally active as he was physically, skipping a grade in elementary school and graduating with the Goshen High School class of 1966 at the age of 17. At this time he moved to Bloomington, IN, where he studied comparative literature at Indiana University and met his wife, Cathy Schafer Sheets. Kevin and Cathy married in 1968 and had four children before divorcing in 1986. During their time in Bloomington, Kevin wrote for The Spectator, an independent newspaper, and as a lover of a broad range of music, played guitar. He was asked to go on tour as the guitarist for the band Soft White Underbelly (later Blue Oyster Cult), but declined due to having a young and growing family. In 1974 Kevin took a job in Chicago, IL with Pickwick, a division of CBS, and moved his family to the suburb of Evanston. In 1975 they moved again, to Ann Arbor, MI, where Kevin was transferred by Pickwick to manage a record store: Discount Records on the corner of State and Liberty. In 1978, Kevin and Cathy started their own business, State Street Bookshop, when they purchased Charing Cross Books from the Borders family. This rare and antiquarian bookstore, which was at 316 South State across from the campus "diag," Kevin ran until he sold the business in 1992. The bookstore had an extensive collection of angling literature, art, maps, and ephemera. Kevin was an avid angler and transitioned from rod and reel fishing to fly fishing, publishing a book about angling literature in 1993. He also published a book about American maps in 1994. After leaving the book business, Kevin joined Bay Design in Ann Arbor where he served as chief financial officer and vice president, a position he still held at the time of his death. He was beloved among Bay Design employees. In 1996, Kevin and Susan Bay began traveling to Naples, FL and soon bought property as well as opened an initial Naples location of Bay Design in 2003. In 2012, both the business and the people became full time Florida residents and Kevin devoted free time to exploring the flora and fauna of the area. He began saltwater fly fishing and learned to navigate the chain of islands and mangrove-covered shell mounds of the Everglades known as The Ten Thousand Islands. He eventually traded his fly rods for cameras and became a self-taught photographer who spent his free time capturing on film the wildlife around Naples. In addition to The Ten Thousand Islands, he loved Keewaydin and Marco Island, Lostman's River, and Fakahatchee Strand. He completed a book of photography about Fakahatchee shortly before he died. Kevin was preceded in death by his father, Donald Wesley Sheets; Brother, Roger Lee Sheets; Mother, Mary Jane Sheets; and Sister, Kathleen Sheets Harmon. He is survived by his brother William Sheets and sister Myrna Sheets Rarick. He is also survived by his ex-wife, Cathy Schafer Sheets and four children: Christopher Sheets, Deirdre Sheets (Joey Tartell), Sarah Sheets, and Jane Sheets. He is also survived by his longtime companion, friend, and business associate, Susan Bay. Finally, Kevin, a loving and active grandfather who shared his love of photography with his grandchildren, is survived by five grandchildren. Cremation is being handled by Naples Funeral Home. Given the health precautions necessary due to COVID-19, no ceremony or gathering is planned at this time. Remembrances may be made in the form of a donation to Friends of the Fakahatchee: Support the Strand at https://orchidswamp.org/support/.