John Brooke Shehan Jr.

John Brooke Shehan, Jr. (Brooke), age 90, a longtime resident of Sherwood Forest, MD and formerly Bethesda, MD passed away peacefully on December 22, 2022, surrounded by his family. Born in Baltimore, he was the son of J. Brooke Shehan, Sr and his wife, Margaret Anderson, and a nephew of Lawrence Cardinal Shehan. Brooke is preceded in death by his siblings Tom Shehan, George Shehan, Mary Ellen Shehan Kelly and Laurie Shehan Russell.

Brooke grew up in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood and attended Loyola High School at Blakefield, where he played football and lacrosse. Following high school, Brooke attended Johns Hopkins University, where he played lacrosse for the Blue Jays. Brooke spent many childhood summers on the shores of Long Beach Island, NJ (Beach Haven) where he learned to swim and sail at any early age. Subsequent to his college graduation, Brooke served in the U.S. Army from 1950-1953 where he managed one of several Post Exchanges (PXs) in Korea during the Korean war.

After the Korean war, Brooke went to work for IBM, retiring in 1992. While working at IBM, Brooke also earned his Juris Doctorate degree attending evening classes at the University of Baltimore Law school. He served on several boards including the Sherwood Forest Board of Directors and the Maryland Food Bank and volunteered countless hours to Maryland Legal Aide during his retirement.

On November 1, 1957, his uncle, Cardinal Shehan married Brooke and his high school sweetheart, the late Jeanne Dumler Shehan, at St Mark’s Catholic Church in Baltimore, MD. Married for 59 years, together they raised five children: Mary Julia Shehan McCormick of Sherwood Forest,MD, Kathleen Shehan Caslow of Alexandria, VA, Colleen Shehan Bakewell of Tuscon, AZ, John Brooke Shehan, III of Georgetown, TX and Marnie Shehan Suckell of Tuscon, AZ. Brooke and Jeanne raised their children in Bethesda, MD as members of the Little Flower parish.

In 1975 Brooke brought his family to Sherwood Forest to spend summers on the shores of the Severn River near Annapolis, Maryland. In 1993, he and Jeanne retired permanently to Sherwood Forest. Brooke (“Grandaddy”) was a loving and constant presence in the lives of his grandchildren: Andrew Keenan McCormick, James Anderson McCormick, Douglass Scott Caslow, Quinn Topper Caslow, Schillo Tshuma, Brock Kyle Bakewell, Luke Anderson Bakewell, Brett Christopher Bakewell, John Brooke Shehan, IV, Michael William Shehan, Alexandra Nicole “Nikki” Suckell, Kelli Ann Suckell and Christopher Justin Suckell. They spent many summers attending the Sherwood Forest Camp and will treasure the special time they spent with their Granddaddy.

Brooke was a wonderful, supportive father, a proud grandfather and devoted husband to his wife Jeanne. While he will be missed terribly by his family, they are comforted knowing he is now reunited with his “lovely lady” Jeanne.

A celebratory mass will be held on Thursday, December 29th at 10:30am at St. John Neumann on 620 N Bestgate Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401. A reception immediately following will be held in Stewart Hall in Sherwood Forest Clubhouse, 134 Sherwood Forest Rd, Sherwood Forest, MD 21405.