Throughout the past few years, Giving Back has been exemplified by individuals or couples who have generously given their time, treasure and talent to the Community. They typically have done this service in concert with their professional and/or business lives. However, it seems that the events of the past year, both politically at home and internationally, are begging for a humble commonsense definition of the wonderful act of giving to one’s community and might I be so bold as to imply, “humanity in general.” Mahatma Gandhi was one of those unique individuals who gave birth to a phrase that describes what I am proposing. Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service to others.” This quote led me to find the local person that best exemplifies what I have professed represents a humble common-sense approach to Giving Back.
Jeremiah T. Sheehan, or as we in South Florida know him, Tom Sheehan, is like a silent river that runs very deep. He lives his life through strict adherence to a passage from the New Testament from Matthew Chapter 6: 2-18. This scripture fundamentally states that one should not seek publicity for one’s good deeds but to always perform them humbly and quietly. This philosophy of living is a result of his upbringing. Tom comes from a large family that relocated to Florida from Buffalo, NY in 1966. They hail from Irish roots and believed in hard work, loving one’s neighbor and always duty to country, community and the Catholic Church. Tom’s father, Sherwood Sheehan, didn’t just profess these characteristics, he lived them to the fullest. He built successful auto dealerships in Buffalo, NY from scratch using his determination, wit, willingness to take chances, hard work and what few dollars he had. Quite frankly, a very few dollars. This road to success began after he served in WW II in the South Pacific. Sherwood and his brother June enlisted in the Army Air Corps at a very young age after they each learned to fly bi-planes in upstate NY. Unfortunately, his brother June was killed in a training exercise in Jacksonville, FL prior to deploying overseas. Sherwood followed on and became a B-17 and B-24 pilot and was stationed in Darwin, Australia. In those days a pilot was deployed for 22 missions and, if they survived the 22, they were released from combat service. Sherwood completed his 22 and re-upped for another 22. To this day, he is one of the very few that successfully completed 44 missions, one of which he and his crew single handedly took on 20 Japanese zeros and successfully returned to base. As a result, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oakleaf Clusters.
After the war, Sherwood returned to Buffalo, NY, married his high school sweetheart Norma, and began growing the family. By the end of the 1950s, they had five children, Sharon, Tim, Sherwood, Tom and Pauline. While raising the family, Sherwood was working selling cars and, ultimately, he opened an auto repair shop that he leveraged into a Packard dealership. When Packard failed, he refused the same fate and leveraged that into a Nash Rambler dealership. When that failed, he once again pivoted and was able to obtain DeSoto and Plymouth dealer-ships. Along with the growing success of his dealerships and the support of his wife and high school sweetheart Norma, he also took on a Ford dealership as well. Sherwood had another goal in mind, one which had antecedents in his memory of the wonderful weather in Florida and his general distaste for cold weather. This goal was to relocate the family to Florida. In 1967 he applied for and was granted the Pontiac Motor Company rights to a dealership in Lighthouse Point, FL. Sherwood and Norma packed up the station wagon, loaded the kids and headed south. Sherwood had the courage and foresight to use every dime the family had and purchased the 2800 block of North Federal Highway in the newly founded City of Lighthouse Point. A very gutsy move considering in those days no one wanted to live east of Dixie Highway and the City of Lighthouse Point was just growing out of bean farming.
And so begins the story of Tom Sheehan, a young man whose foundation is constructed from the same principles transmitted to him by his parents and especially his dad Sherwood. These principles are still on their company website today, Integrity, Honesty & Respect. In addition to those business ethics, Tom learned fundamental life principles as well. They are Faith, Family, Common Sense and a Humble persona. In fact, both Tom and Dad believed the real formula for success is founded in a biblical doctrine, “treat others as you would have them treat you.” Armed with these life lessons and a good education, both High School at Cardinal Gibbons and College at Spring Hill College a Jesuit University in Mobile, Alabama, Tom came home to work in the family business. During that time the Pontiac dealerships grew to a total of nine throughout South Florida. The business also took on additional dealerships from General Motors Corporation, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Honda and Acura. By the turn of the century and in response to changing industry market appeal, Sheehan focused on GMC and Buick. Unfortunately, Sherwood passed away in 2003 and Tom assumed the position of President with the goal of moving the company forward. During the next 20 years under Tom’s and his brother Tim’s leadership, the company grew its automotive dealership footprint in South Florida. They acquired multiple locations along North Federal Highway in Lighthouse Point and Pompano Beach and, in 2016, made a major acquisition by purchasing the Cadillac/Hummer dealership located in Deerfield Beach. Additionally, the company performed major renovations to all locations to modernize and bring each location into concert with flagship dealer standards and a contemporary approach to dealership sales and service. Today the locations are the jewels of the East Side North County. This success was accomplished with the assistance of family and the loyal employees of the Sheehan dealerships. At one time or another, all of the Sheehan children worked in the family business and contributed that same work ethic they were taught by Sherwood and Norma. Leadership was, however, the province of Tom and Tim who always evolved a culture of engaging their employees at every level of service.
I opened this article with a strong polemic about how giving back is at a point of inflection based upon our contemporary milieu. Well, I believe this is true and best exemplified in Tom Sheehan. Truth be known, he has consistently been a major donor of time, talent and Treasure (emphasis noted) but maintains the lowest profile of most about whom I have written. Tom has always answered the call to support The Archdiocese of Miami, St. Paul the Apostle in Lighthouse Point, The First Responders in the City of Lighthouse Point, Major County Non-Profit organizations, Our Lady of Victory (OLV) National Shrine and Basilica, and his family has provided major support to the Carmelite Nuns in Buffalo, NY along with 50 plus national charities since the 1920s. Perhaps their commonsense approach is best summed up as follows, “to support others who have not been as fortunate as the Sheehan Family.”
Thus, my point about what our society needs now more than ever. It is individuals like Tom who give back by example. Examples of faith, common sense and losing oneself in the service to others. Perhaps the current mandate from our populace is screaming precisely for these concepts. C.S. Lewis once said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” Tom is a living example of this statement. Remember, “Sheehan’s Believin.”
