Isham Harvey Sheffield's Obituary
Isham “Harvey” Sheffield Sr., age 81, transitioned January 10, 2024, after a long illness. He was born on April 28, 1942, in Thomasville, Georgia. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Karen. He has asked to be remembered for his honesty: that he was “a man of his word.”
He grew up in Jefferson County, Florida, where his ancestors had been since the early 1800s.
He was a hunter, fisherman, cowman, pool player, card player and a top-notch salesman. He was passionate about land management and Florida State Seminole sports.
He graduated in 1959 from Jefferson County High School and attended North Florida College and Glendale (California) College. He lived in California for 10 years, where he worked in sales, and where he met and married his wife Karen Stanford. Returning to Florida, he was first a Monticello Police Officer and then a Florida Capitol Security Agent. After selling life insurance for a few years, he started work at the U.S. Postal Service in 1977 and was the Postmaster of Wacissa, Florida, for 25 years until retiring in 2006. During that time he also raised cattle, starting with 15 head in the pasture behind the house to well over 100. He was busy in the pecan business until suffering a stroke in 2010, from which he never fully recovered.
He is survived by his children April McCabe (Mike) of Tallahassee, Ike Sheffield of Spring Creek, and John Allen Royal of Macclenny; his grandchildren Trey and Logan Sheffield, and Cormac and Maggie McCabe all of Tallahassee; his surviving two brothers, Russell (Irene) of Auburndale and Ken (Vicki) of Monticello, and his three sisters, Carolyn Reams of Lamont, Helen Flyte Copeland (Harry) of Tallahassee, and Joyce Musser of Madison, and sister-in-law Myra Sheffield of Lamont; 14 nieces and nephews, and several grandnieces and grandnephews. He was predeceased by his parents Luther and Hoyt (Kinsey) Sheffield, brother Mitchell and brothers-in-law, Laurie Reams, Hank Flyte and Ronnie Webb.
The family thanks Sheryl Burgess and PruittHealth Southwood for helping in his care the last few years and Big Bend Hospice for great support these last few weeks.
A celebration of Harvey’s life will be held on Sunday, March 3, 2024, at 2:00 pm at Lamont Baptist Church, with burial of cremains at Olive Baptist Church at a future date, both in Jefferson County.
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