March 17, 2015
A funeral service will be held in Toowoomba tomorrow (Wednesday) for former Kingaroy businessman Jack Sheehy who died on Monday aged 94.
Jack came to Kingaroy in 1953 from Maryborough and along with his wife Joan opened a shoe shop in Kingaroy Street.
The couple ran the store for more than 30 years.
Jack started in the shoe business in 1933 at Maryborough.
World War II interrupted his shoe-selling career when he spent five years in the army.
After the war he opened the Kingaroy store which he and Joan ran continuously until they “retired” in 1984 to Toowoomba.
But Jack couldn’t keep away from shoes, and soon started working part-time in a local shoe shop.
All up, it is estimated Jack spent more than 70 years selling shoes.
During his time in Kingaroy, Jack was an active member of Rotary, Jaycees, the KCCI, the Peanut Festival committee and the Kingaroy Golf Club.
The funeral will be held at the T.S. Burstow Chapel, 1020 Ruthven Street, South Toowoomba, from 2:30pm.
Jack is survived by his wife of more than 70 years, Joan, daughters Sandra McGahan and Carol Weldon, grandchildren and great-grandchild.
Jack and Joan were lovely people and a great asset to the Kingaroy business community.
John and Sandy Learmont
I will always remember Jack and Joan as two of the loveliest people in Kingaroy when I was growing up in the 1950s & 60s. Their business was known as Sheehys Shoe Shop (try saying that fast 10 times) and from memory operated from two different shops, one either side of Kingaroy Street between Alford and Haly Streets.
Jack always ensured that you left the shop with 100% customer satisfaction even if you had not bought a new pair of shoes or boots etc but that rarely happened, he always had something in stock to satisfy your needs or would make the effort to obtain what the customer desired. The same also applied for Joan and their staff.
We have lost a “top bloke” with his recent passing.
Daryl Swan
Kingaroy