CAMDEN —A former CEO of Cooper Health Systems — whose death alongside his wife is shrouded in mystery — is being honored with the renaming of one of its building.

Three Cooper Plaza, located on Cooper's Health Science campus in Camden, will be renamed the John and Joyce Sheridan Health Center. John Sherican had been Cooper's CEO from 2008 until his death in 2014.

“John Sheridan left a lasting legacy at Cooper University Health Care and in Camden, a city he worked tirelessly to improve,"George E. Norcross III, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Cooper University Health Care said. "John and his beloved wife, Joyce, loved Cooper, and the Cooper family loved them back. It’s only fitting that they will always be remembered at Cooper University Health Care in this way.

Sheridan and his wife were found dead in their Somerset County home in 2014. A controversial investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office concluded John Sheridan took his own life after killing his wife and setting their house on fire. Both had suffered several wounds not connected to the fire.

The couple's sons disputed the finding and after a review of the case state Medical Examiner Andrew L. Falzon in January amended the manner of death on Johns Sheridan's death certificate from "suicide" to "undetermined." The cause of death, “sharp force injuries and smoke inhalation,”  remains unchanged.

The sons cited several problems in the investigation — for instance, an investigator involved said evidence was destroyed or discarded.

Gov. Chris Christie has since replaced the Somerset County prosecutor. Authorities have not, in the time since, announced any other suspect in the case or offered up an alternative theory of the Sheridans' deaths.

 

Norcross cited John Sheridan's initiative in helping to revitalize the neighborhood around the hospital, which included the creation of the plaza and the Roberts Pavilion.

"Mom and Dad dedicated themselves to making Cooper and Camden better places; Dad through his tireless efforts at Cooper Hospital and Cooper's Ferry, and Mom through her unending support of him and his work," the Sheridan family said in a statement about the building renaming. "They were so proud of the success of the hospital and the revitalization of the surrounding community. We want to thank Mr. Norcross, Ms. Kirby and the Board of Trustees of Cooper for recognizing our parents' contributions to the City of Camden and to this great institution."

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

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