In Memory
John M. Sheadel
Jan 5, 1916 - Aug 23, 2008
John M. Sheadel, 92, of South Trimble Road and formerly of Elmridge Road, died Saturday afternoon, Aug. 23, 2008, in his home in The Waterford after a short illness.
He was born Jan. 5, 1916, in Lafayette, Ind., to James Benjamin and Blanche Gertrude (Magley) Sheadel. He was graduated from South Bend Central High School in 1934 and earned his BSEE from Purdue University in 1938.
Mr. Sheadel began to work with The Ohio Brass Company in 1938 in Barberton as a high voltage laboratory engineer. Later, he worked as development engineer for high voltage insulators and hardware and for high voltage bushings and pot heads. For two years he served as director of quality control, and later served as assistant to the chief engineer. He moved to Mansfield in 1966 with a job transfer to the Mansfield Plant of The Ohio Brass, where he was in charge of design and development of the products manufactured from that plant. He was named Chief Engineer in 1970. He was involved with numerous electric railway projects, including the innovative San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit System. His career at The Ohio Brass was unique, in that, at various times during his tenure, he had engineering design and development responsibilities for all Ohio Brass products manufactured at both the Mansfield and Barberton production facilities. His ingenuity in design enabled The Brass to secure numerous patents on his inventions.
A registered professional engineer, Mr. Sheadel retired in 1981.
He was a member, elder, and past treasurer of First Presbyterian Church; and a member, past chapter chairman and past district representative of SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives). A member of Mansfield Rotary Club, in 1987 Mr. Sheadel was honored with the club's Award for Distinguished and Unselfish Service Above Self to the Club and the Community. He was a senior member and past section chairman of IEEE (Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers), and was a member and past chapter chairman of Power Engineering Society. He was a former member of the controlling board of the Mansfield/Richland County Incubator (now known as Braintree), and was renowned for his money management skills.
Described as a "student of life," Mr. Sheadel held three great loves: locomotives, reading, and the Lord. His Christian principles colored his every thought, his every purpose, his every action. He was a calm and steady influence, both in public and at home. A man of integrity, he carefully reflected and considered how he presented himself, based on his principles.
Extremely well read, Mr. Sheadel was a scholar of history, specifically Western Civilization, and had a penchant for records of the American Civil War. Combining history and trains, one of his favorite tales is of The Great Locomotive Chase.
He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Ann M. Sheadel and Stephen Worful of Louisville, KY, his daughter Jean L. Sheadel of Chicago, IL, his son Michael J. Sheadel and his partner Al Vernacchio of Philadelphia, PA; a daughter-in-law Debbie Sheadel of Lawrenceville, GA; grandchildren John Sheadel, Sara Murphy and her husband Kevin, Jasen Jacobsen, Mark Jacobsen, Robert Worful and Michael Worful; and a great-grandson Trevor Jacobsen.
His wife Kathryn M. "Kay" Sheadel died on September 3, 2004 and his son James Sheadel died on September 23, 2007.
The Sheadel Family will receive friends on Tuesday, August 26, 2008, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Finefrock Chapel of the Marion Avenue Snyder Funeral Home, 350 Marion Avenue (Former Finefrock Funeral Home). The funeral service will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. in First Presbyterian Church, 399 South Trimble Road, with The Rev. Dennis Allison officiating. Burial will follow in Mansfield Memorial Park.
Memorial contributions to First Presbyterian Church may be made at the funeral home.
Condolences to the family may be made online at www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.
Source: FindAGrave.com
04/15/2026 EJS
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