David J. Sheehan of Fairfax, Virginia passed away unexpectedly at his home on September 16, 2026, at the age of 75. Dave was the beloved husband of Bonnie Sheehan and a devoted father to Larissa, Cassandra (“Cassie”), and Martin (“Marty”). He had a bonus son in Mrunal and adored the family dogs Ginger, Max, Mabel, and Daisy. In the last few years, Dave fulfilled his favorite role yet—becoming a devoted and proud grandfather (known as “Pop”).

Born on December 27, 1950, in New York, New York, and named for his maternal uncle who gave his life to his country during World War II, “Davey” was the oldest brother and third in line of six siblings in a lively and loving traditional Irish Catholic family. His father, Paul, being one of nine, and his mother, Anne, being one of four, Dave grew up surrounded by family – to include his siblings and too many cousins to count from the Sheehan, Montague, and Lynch families. Highlights of his childhood were visiting Point Lookout with the entire brood, watching the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, hot dogs at Coney Island, and riding makeshift rafts down the Hudson River (the latter much to the chagrin of his mother).

Dave attended St. Margaret’s Parish School in the Bronx and Sacred Heart in Yonkers, graduated from Iona College, and was drafted into the United States Army in 1971 during the Vietnam War at the age of 21. He served his country in Texas, Arizona, and Augsburg, Germany. In Augsburg he met and married his beautiful bride, Bonnie Schuck, who also served in the U.S. Army at the time. Through Bonnie, he gained a dear extended family in the Schucks, Hurleys, and Sirollis.

After completing their time in the service, the two moved back to New York City, where Dave started his illustrious career with the U.S. Customs Service, beginning as an inspector on the New York City ports and at John F. Kennedy airport. He later became part of a task force which successfully targeted the Flying Dragons, a notorious New York Chinatown gang who smuggled heroin into the United States.

In New York, the two started their family with the arrival of Larissa and Cassie. The family moved to Hong Kong in 1989 for Dave’s career, then settled in Northern Virginia in the early 1990’s and welcomed their youngest child, Marty. The family spent more than three decades in the same home, filling it with a lifetime of memories. During this time, Dave worked at the U.S. Customs headquarters at the Department of the Treasury, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division, and as the Associate Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Field Office. Although he was an accomplished agent, his personal claim to fame was consulting on HBO’s “The Wire” for a short period while working in Baltimore. Dave’s career took him to cities all over the world—Manila, Madrid, and Buenos Aires to name a few. He loved to regale his kids with stories of his travels and job and never came home without souvenirs for the whole family.

Dave retired from the Department of Homeland Security in 2004 and spent several years with Oak Ridge Associated Universities and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. He ended his career handling security clearances for various agencies through his own firm and loved chatting with and learning the stories of the people he interviewed for background checks.

Dave was smart, hardworking, tough, loyal, funny, and an outstanding driver. He loved Frank Sinatra, Irish folk music, and “oldies”; Stella beer, key lime pie, and black and white cookies; watching the Yankees and Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, and NFL football. He was devoted to his country. He enjoyed studying history, working in the yard, learning about his ancestry, classic movies, the Washington Post, and television dramas. He loved his family, friends, and neighbors in Fairfax. But—a piece of his heart always remained in New York and he never forgot his Irish roots, or his large and caring family there and his extended family in New Jersey.

Dave is survived by his wife Bonnie; children Larissa, Mrunal, Cassie, and Marty; sweet dog Daisy; his beloved grandchildren; siblings Maureen, Mary, Paul, and Lawrence; in-laws Lou, Kathy, Marie, Fred, Terri, Achala, and Jatin; nieces and nephews Billy, Cristina, Kathleen, Patricia, Susan, Debbie, Ryan, Daniel, Connor, Kerry, Molly, Carrie, and Allie and their spouses; several great nephews and nieces; and many, many cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents Paul and Anne; parents-in-law Bill and Frieda; sister Patricia; brothers-in-law Steve and Bill; and sister-in-law Lisa. He adored them all.

Read his full obituary. A celebration of life will be held on Friday, October 2, 2026, at Demaine Funeral Home in Fairfax, Virginia. Family will start receiving guests at 4p.m. Remarks from family and friends and a presentation of the flag will begin at approximately 5:10p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to World Central Kitchen and Homeless Animals Rescue Team (“HART”).