‘I’d like to see the entire town out’
Funeral Procession Planned for Marshfield’s Danny Sheehan.
Visiting hours are taking place today at the St. Christine Church in Marshfield for 8-year-old Danny Sheehan, who passed away after a four-year battle with brain cancer.
Sheehan was a beloved member of the Marshfield Police Department, and was named an Officer in 2019. Lieutenant Arthur Shaw said he and Officer John Toomey formed a special relationship with him.
“No matter where you met him, or what time you spent with him, you knew you were going to be laughing,” said Shaw.
“It was a huge morale boost. If we were having a down day, and we’d bring him over to the station – it’s over. He’d be walking around and making everybody laugh. That sense of humor would just rub off on everyone. No matter how bad your day was, you knew he’d make it better,” said Shaw. “John and I would go over to his house every once in a while, just if we were bored and needed a laugh. He’d scream at us and kick us out eventually, but he’d make us laugh.”
Visiting hours are taking place from 2 to 6 p.m. today. People from Marshfield, surrounding towns, and from across the state are stopping by the church.
Each member of the Marshfield High School boys’ hockey team was in a shirt and tie giving out waters to people in line.
“He loved the boys’ hockey team, and they loved him. They did so much for him. The Boys & Girls Club, the schools, everybody loved the kid,” said Shaw. “It’s amazing how the community came together for him. He’s just a special kid and you couldn’t help but love him.”
As Shaw was talking with WATD, a police cruiser from Middleton, Connecticut arrived.
“I’m not supposed to use the word parade, but it’s a parade. We’re having a parade to celebrate Danny tonight,” said Shaw. “That’s the way Danny would have liked it.”
The Marshfield Police Department is asking residents to line the sidewalks this evening for the procession, which starts at 7 p.m. Police, fire, DPW, and numerous agencies from across the state will take part.
“I’d like to see everybody out, I’d like to see the entire town out. The businesses out. I’d like to see everybody out making as much noise as they can,” said Shaw. “His family will be in here for a lot of hours today, that has to be incredibly tough on them. I think when they see what Danny meant to the community, I think it’s going to be a very special night tonight.”
The procession will leave from the church at 7 p.m., travel down Plain Street, and will turn left at the Roche Brothers light onto Route 139.
It will go down Ocean Street, with a brief stop at the Daniel Webster School – where Danny was a student.
After turning back onto Route 139, the procession will turn on Dyke Road, to Careswell Street, onto Webster Street, back to Route 139 – and will end at the MacDonald Funeral Home.
