Philip James Sheridan was born to his parents James and Catherine Sheridan on December 24, 1940, in Mt. Clemens, MI. Phil grew up with older brother John and younger brother Steve in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Phil was a great student and graduated as co-valedictorian, from Ironwood High School in 1958. He graduated from Northwestern in Chicago in 1962 and graduated magna cum laude from the University of San Francisco Law School. He then spent the next five years as an officer in the Navy.
Phil and his first wife, Karen, were married in Hawaii and they happily welcomed their little girl, Shannon. Phil and his family moved to San Francisco, and he began working as a hospital administrator, It was during this time that Philip attended law school. Unfortunately, Karen and Phil ended up separating and divorcing. After completing law school, Phil married his second wife Marty, and they left California to move to Allegan, MI. While in Allegan, Jen and John were born to their delighted parents in 1978 and 1979. Phillip and his attorney brother, Steve, opened the Sheridan and Sheridan law offices in Allegan and Douglas, MI.
Phil practiced general law, although he especially enjoyed property law. All of Phil’s time was spent practicing law, overseeing his rental property and being a dad to Shannon, Jen and Jon. Regrettably Marty and Phil parted ways in 1985. In 1993, Phil and Kathy Mulder married, and he became stepdad to her two sons, Jeff and Mike. Their happiest times were spent vacationing at many national parks.
Phil became semi-retired around 2014; although he continued to work part time at Property Law Solutions, in Holland, MI, in 2020 Philip began to show signs of Frontotemporal Dementia, this insidious, horrific disease took over his life, until his death on June 27, 2025. The loves of Phil’s life were his family, the law, politics and University of Michigan Football.
A memorial service for Phil is scheduled for Saturday, July 12 at 1pm at Hope Church, 77 West 11th Street Holland, MI 49423. Rev. Gordon Wiersma will be officiating. Burial will be in Riverside – Saugatuck Cemetery. Arrangements are by Dykstra Funeral Homes – Mulder Chapel.
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