Sean R. Person

Sean Person, age 49, known affectionately to his friends and family as “SeannyP”, passed away peacefully at home on May 21, 2025. While he was born in Ormskirk, England to his parents, Shelagh Ward and Ralph Person, the family moved soon after his birth to Cleveland, Ohio. Sean spent his early years in Cleveland learning to sail, making short trips up and down parts of the Ohio River and the surrounding lakes. The Person family decided to move south, buying a sailboat and landing in Shalimar, FL where the young family of 5 lived aboard the boat at the Shalimar Yacht Club before Sean’s years at Shalimar Elementary. This was the start of Sean’s lifelong love for water, specifically, the Gulf. Sean attended Meigs Middle School where he met Hillary Heflin. Neither one of them paid much attention to the other here, or at Choctawhatchee High School. (However, Sean did sink a sailboat in Garnier’s Bayou that forced him to talk to Mr. Heflin about how he intended to clean up the shoreline at the neighborhood park where pieces of the boat had washed ashore…) To say that Sean “attended” Choctawhatchee is generous; he spent those days skipping class and at the beach. Sean completed his GED, and was relieved to have high school behind him. His 20’s were full of learning many life lessons, some good and some not-so-good, but his resilience prevailed. Sean’s first professional job was in archeology working for Prentice Thomas & Associates (PTA), in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. He learned to use his physical strength and strong work ethic and the company rewarded him for his dedication. That’s when Sean’s life got complicated; after graduating college, Hillary was also hired at PTA. The two of them dug holes, ran from wild pigs, and fought off banana spiders together on Eglin Air Force Base while conducting archeological surveys. Apparently, these experiences were the recipe for love. In 2000, the young couple moved to Bloomington, IN and were married in 2003. The Midwest was a shock to Sean, and he was kicked off of more than one basketball pick-up game for assuming that ‘trash talk’ on the court was more than talk. Soon enough, he acclimated to the university town and enjoyed playing basketball with university faculty and team players in addition to local “townies”. Sean grew personally, professionally, and spiritually in Bloomington. He started a construction business that led to a career in construction where he went from building decks to leading procurement for $2.3B projects. Sean could rewire, build, or fix just about anything, just don’t ask him to do drywall! He completed his Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from Indiana University-Purdue University. This accomplishment boosted his confidence, allowing him to see just how intelligent his family already knew he was. Sean joined Sherwood Oaks Christian Church and enjoyed volunteering and the men’s group gatherings. This group provided much-needed support and guidance to him. Sean lived life with intensity- working hard, playing hard, and giving fully. He chased opportunities and experiences with fearless enthusiasm, from business travel in South Sudan and Ukraine to those in Costa Rica. He was completing his pilot’s license and loved night dive spearfishing while living in Florida. Sean loved adventure, proving it with a trip to a hyperbaric chamber, multiple back and knee surgeries and several head injuries. His body bore the the marks of these adventures, but his spirit remained bold and generous. None of his adventures compared to that of being a dedicated dad and husband. His greatest love was his family, including those who had adopted him as their own. Sean’s generous love lives on in the lives of his friends and family who will always remember their “SeannyP”. Sean is survived by his wife of 21 years, Hillary Person, his children Penelope and Oliver; his mother, Shelagh Ward Poe and her husband Brian Poe of Pensacola, FL; his father Ralph Person of Jacksonville, FL; his sister Veronica Person-McReynolds and her husband Dustin McReynolds and her children, Isaiah Person, Kordell Davis, and Ray Evans of Pensacola, FL; his brother Heath and his wife Evita Person of Largo, FL and half sister, Marilyn Person of Cleveland, Ohio. Sean is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, John Henry and Mary Person and maternal grandparents, John and Mary Ward; his half brother, Leonard Person and half sister, April Person. The celebration of life is scheduled on Saturday, June 28, 2025 in Bloomington, IN at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, 2700 E Rogers Rd Bloomington, IN, 47401 in the Chapel. Visitation will be from 11am to 1pm and the Memorial Service will follow. A private burial ceremony for the family will be held in Gulf Breeze, FL.

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Sean R. Person

February 2, 1976 - May 21, 2025