In Memoriam: Ed Sheehan

NEW YORK CITY - Edward J. Sheehan, a pioneering figure in NYC’s pest control community, passed away on June 30, after battling mesothelioma. He was 79.

Sheehan spent more than five decades helping to shape the pest management industry in New York City and beyond. He began his career in 1967 and went on to own/operate Checkmate Exterminators for 27 years (1971-1998). Under his leadership, the company became a fixture in the city until it was acquired by Terminix International in 1998.

© credit | Joe Sheehan

In addition to building a successful business, Sheehan was a respected voice in the industry and a mentor to many — including his son Joe, who now leads Brooklyn-based  Colony Pest Management.

A natural storyteller, known for bringing humor and heart to every conversation, Sheehan was interviewed by acclaimed filmmaker Morgan Spurlock for the 2016 documentary RATS. In its review of the film, The Hollywood Reporter wrote: Knowing a gem when he finds one, Spurlock punctuates his globe-spanning narrative with sit-downs in a dark basement, where cigar-smoking tough guy Ed Sheehan, a Brooklyn exterminator for 48 years, tells us what he's learned. Sheehan is as magnetic an interviewee as a filmmaker could want, dishing out hard truths about rats. (PCT interviewed him about this experience for a 2016 podcast). He and Joe also hosted the Colony Confidential podcast.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Edward J. Sheehan Scholarship Fund, supporting future pest management professionals. Donations can be made at https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M24T8VYXZBQTY.