Cooper Health CEO, wife remembered at memorial service

TRENTON (WPVI) -- The CEO of Cooper Health System and his wife were remembered at a memorial service in Trenton, New Jersey.

A huge line of mourners streamed into the Trenton War Memorial for the memorial of John and Joyce Sheridan on Tuesday.

The Sheridans died in a fire at their home in Somerset County on September 28th. The fire has been ruled arson and an investigation continues.

The focus Tuesday was on the lives and they lived.

"My first memory of them as a couple was seeing how they were already a couple on the first or third date," said friend Dennis Satppard.

At the service on Tuesday, lawmakers past and present are among those who came to pay their respects.

"He was very smart, he was a very, very intelligent man and went from one field to another field and excelled," said former Gov. Jim Florio.

"He brought a level of respect and dignity and a wealth of resources through his network throughout the state of New Jersey to bear for the city of Camden," said Camden Mayor Dana Redd.

"He was one of those public servants in the best sense of the word because he loved the state. He was a Republican, but he never served for the Republicans, he served for the people," said former Gov. Christine Whitman.

Cameras were not allowed inside the memorial service where Joyce Sheridan was remembered as a tough, irreverent history teacher.

John Sheridan was called a visionary, for decades a thoughtful fixture in New Jersey politics before taking over the helm at Cooper.

"He joined us a decade ago and spent every minute of every day working hard to do something for the people who live in that city and provide high-quality healthcare," said Cooper Health chairman George Norcross.

"I loved the man. He was a great cabinet officer, terrific person, a great family man. I'm just shocked by the whole thing," said fmr. Gov. Don DiFrancesco.

A private funeral followed the memorial service.