Updated Cooper CEOPresident John Sheridan dies in house fire

Cooper Health System CEO and President John P. Sheridan and his wife, Joyce, died Sunday morning, the hospital system announced.George Norcross III, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Adrienne Kriby, the president and CEO of Cooper University Health Care, announced the news on the Cooper University Health Care website.
 
“It is hard to overstate how great a loss John’s death is to his family, friends, co-workers and Cooper,” Norcross said in the release. “He was a friend, a mentor and a role model. There is no one else who has had as big an impact on me as John did except my father. I will miss him very much.”
 
NJ.com reported the couple died in an early morning fire at their Montgomery home. Sheridan was 72 years old, and his wife was 69.

Gov. Chris Christie issued a statement late Sunday night:

“John was an outstanding public servant, a leader in the healthcare industry and a true New Jersey treasure,” he said. “Joyce was an outstanding teacher, wife and mother. Their family and loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers as they deal with the loss of these two special people.”

Sheridan joined Cooper as senior executive vice president in July 2005. He became chief administrative officer in March 2007 and president of Cooper University Hospital in September 2007. He was appointed president and CEO of The Cooper Health System in February 2008, according to the release.
 
“Working closely with John, I was able to see firsthand his quiet strength, his decisiveness and his passionate belief that Cooper not only could make a difference in people’s lives, it had an obligation to do so,” Kirby said. “His leadership made Cooper a better place.”
 
Sheridan was ranked No. 20 on the NJBIZ Health Care Power 50 in March. He was ranked No. 43 on the NJBIZ Power 100 in January.
 
“If we’re talking about intelligence, knowledge of the industry and effectiveness in running an institution, John’s at the top of the list,” one insider said of Sheridan.
 
The leaders of Cooper said Sheridan was instrumental in so much of its growth.
 
“(He led) a transformation of the entire health care system, from the construction and expansion of the Roberts Pavilion of Cooper University Hospital, to creating the first new medical school in New Jersey in three decades, to building a partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center to bring their world-renowned care to Cooper. Perhaps his greatest contribution to the larger Cooper community was his commitment to helping revitalize Camden,” the release said. “There was never a day that went by when he wasn’t focused on what Cooper could do to help revitalize the city that he loved, and that should be the defining hallmark of his tenure at Cooper.”
 
Before coming to Cooper, Sheridan had a long career in government service and as a lawyer. He was a senior partner and co-chairman of the law firm of Riker, Danzig, Riker; he also served as the Commissioner of Transportation for Gov. Kean and as chairman of the board of the New Jersey Transit Corporation from 1982-85. Earlier in his career, he served as deputy attorney general of the state of New Jersey, assistant counsel to Gov. William T. Cahill and counsel to the New Jersey Senate Minority, according to the release.
 
Sheridan graduated St. Peter’s College and received his law degree from Rutgers Law School. He served in the U.S. Army from 1968-70.

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