Christopher Sheridan entered eternal life on November 23, 2024, at the age of 87, following a courageous battle with kidney disease. 

Born on May 22, 1937, in Rye, Chris was the son of Christopher and Sarah (Sweeney) Sheridan. A devoted husband and father, Chris discovered his passion for photography during his time in the Army, a love he turned into a lifelong career. He proudly served as a photographer for Catholic New York (CNY), the former newspaper of the Archdiocese of New York, throughout its existence, becoming a familiar and beloved figure.. 

In retirement, Chris embraced the great outdoors, finding joy in hiking, biking, and kayaking. He loved exploring nature near and far and cherished opportunities to travel. His later adventures out west deepened his appreciation for the National Park System and sparked a fascination with its wildlife, particularly grizzly bears.

“Chris was a legend. An excellent photographer, an avid outdoorsman, and a good man. I knew and worked with Chris for more than four decades, and his devotion to his Church and his craft were unmatched. He was unique, and will be greatly missed,” said Joseph Zwilling, director of communications for the Archdiocese of New York.

A retrospective of his work appeared in a September 2021 issue of Catholic New York.

“In its 40-year history, Catholic New York has been blessed with many fine photographers who have offered a visual summary of Catholic life in the Archdiocese of New York and at times beyond our borders. Their excellent images have graced the pages of this newspaper as we endeavor to show as well as tell Catholic news. Only one has been there from Issue No. 1 of Volume I—his name is Chris Sheridan.

“From the beginning, Sheridan has been the representative of Catholic New York best known by clergy, religious, and laity in the parishes, schools, and other institutions of the 10-county archdiocese. That’s because his working life has been spent chronicling the goings-on in those places, from a Mass offered by Cardinal Dolan at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to the expressions of students in a Catholic elementary school classroom.

“Readers of Catholic New York are most familiar with the finished product of his labors, which have been consistently honored with both praise and awards through the years. His CNY colleagues hold him in the highest regard for the professionalism with which he has always conducted himself, his unflagging dedication to the paper’s mission and his longevity matched only by his desire to capture the perfect shot. His track record is sterling, as the images displayed here show.”

Chris’s photos have also been used by The Good Newsroom. His images of the December 2022 Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass and procession were among some of the earliest that The Good Newsroom published, and they became part of an award-winning multimedia package.

Chris is survived by his loving wife, Kathleen (O’Brien) Sheridan; his son, Scott, and son-in-law Michael Dunbar; his sister, Sara Jane Combes and brother-in-law, William Combes; and several cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Magdalene (Golgosky) Sheridan; his son, Christian; and his siblings, Margaret, Martin, and Robert. 

Arrangements are entrusted to Flower Funeral Home Inc., 714 Yonkers Avenue, Yonkers, with visitation on Wednesday from 8-10 a.m. followed by a funeral mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Church and interment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the National Park Service in Chris’s honor. His admiration for the park system and its wildlife, especially grizzly bears, was a defining part of his later years. Chris will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.