Nancy Joan Sheehan

1957 - 2020

Loving wife, daughter, sister, and friend An evil metastatic breast cancer took the life of Nancy Joan Sheehan on November 23, 2019 but her wit, humor, kindness and exceptional organizational skills will live in our hearts forever. Born on September 20, 1957, Nancy grew up on Long Island (or as Nancy would say, "Lawn Guyland"), the first daughter and second of four children born to John Kenny Sheehan and Joan Ruth Crossley Sheehan. Since the 1980's Sacramento was Nancy's home. During her 34-year career at Porter Scott, Nancy was a fair, funny and formidable civil rights and employment law litigator. Nancy was honored with admission to the top peer-reviewed organizations for trial lawyers: the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL), and the International Society of Barristers. Nancy was also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and served as the President of its Sacramento Valley Chapter. In 2010 she received the Chapter's Civility Award for her professionalism in dealing with counsel and courts and was named the Chapter's Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2014 the first woman to receive that honor. The Sacramento County Bar Association recently renamed its Distinguished Attorney of the Year award in her honor. In the early 1990's, Nancy met Richard Simpson and said she knew Rich was the one for her after he brought a meat slicer with him on their first date. They married in 1995 and loved the life they built together in Sacramento, spending time with their friends and family, enjoying their condo in Tahoe, and traveling extensively. Nancy was a loving and dedicated daughter, sister, and cousin, and masterminded the annual family reunion events, coordinating skits, song parodies, and no-skill-required contests. She had a job for everyone, and hilarity was the outcome. While she may be known by many for her illustrious career and litigation excellence, she will be best remembered for her charismatic personality, strength, loyalty, kindness, optimism, and excellence of character. Our world feels a lot emptier without her in it. Nancy is survived by her best friend and husband of 24 years, Richard C. Simpson, her mother, Joan Sheehan of Vienna, VA, her brothers Jack (Elise) Sheehan and Kevin (Jennifer) Sheehan, her sister Caryl Sheehan, her step-son Richard E. Simpson (Maureen) , two grandchildren, cousins, nephews and nieces too numerous to list, and a gaggle of friends and colleagues. A Memorial Mass will be held on February 15, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church, 1040 39th St, Sacramento, CA 95816, followed by a reception at Del Paso Country Club, 333 Marconi Ave, Sacramento, CA 95821. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in Nancy's name to one of the following charities: Christo Rey High School, Sacramento Public Library Foundation, or the Anthony M. Kennedy American Inn of Court.