[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 29 (Monday, February 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Remembering Sean O'Shea

  Madam President, on a separate topic, I want to talk about a friend 
of mine who just passed away. He was a selfless son of Chicago who did 
a lot of good for a lot of people.
  Sean O'Shea was a political science major at DePaul University in 
Chicago when he was chosen to intern in the White House Office of 
Cabinet Affairs under President Clinton.
  Mitch Dudek recently wrote a beautiful obituary in the Chicago Sun-
Times. The first line reads:

       Sean O'Shea had an endearing quality that, combined with 
     grit and chutzpah, served as a lock-picking device of sorts 
     on doors leading from his South Side home all the way to the 
     White House.

  Kris Balderston, who was Sean's first boss in the White House, 
recalled his first impressions. I will substitute some of the more 
colorful language.
  He said:

       I'm not exaggerating. The guy walked in our office and I 
     think within the first day we were like, ``Who the [bleep] is 
     this kid?'' He was amazing.
       He totally stood out from every intern we ever had. He was 
     like ``mentorship? I know what I'm doing here,'' and he 
     wasn't kidding. People would ask, "How old is he?'' And I'd 
     tell them, ``You don't want to know.''
       He was the son of Irish immigrants and didn't know anyone. 
     And he was just funny and personal and a real doer.

  And everyone in the White House, from the President and Mrs. Clinton 
on down, fell in love with Sean O'Shea. Sean made such an impression 
that after he graduated, he was offered a full-time job as a liaison 
between the White House and several Cabinet Agencies. He was then in 
his early twenties.
  After the White House, Sean served as top aide to Senator Hillary 
Clinton and handled domestic appropriations bills, transportation and 
infrastructure. He was an adviser on the Northern Ireland peace 
process.
  He then went back home to Illinois to serve as deputy chief of staff 
to former Governor Pat Quinn, overseeing tens of billions of dollars in 
transportation and other capital improvement projects. He also helped 
pass marriage equality in my State of Illinois.
  In hindsight, maybe Sean packed so much into such a short span 
because he would not be given the gift of a long life. He passed away 
last month of brain cancer at the age of 46.
  Sean Francis Patrick O'Shea grew up on the South Side of Chicago, the 
youngest of Joe and Mary O'Shea's four kids. His parents were both born 
in Ireland, and they met at a dance in Chicago. Like many immigrant 
parents, Joe and Mary taught their kids to be proud of their heritage 
and to be grateful they were Americans. Sean's dad worked for the 
Chicago water department as an operating engineer. His mom worked in 
the Office of the Cook County Assessor.
  Joe O'Shea was an accordion player and past president of the Chicago 
chapter of the Irish Musicians Association--God bless him--who insisted 
that all four of their children learn Irish dancing.
  One of Joe's proudest moments was in 2000, when Sean was asked if he 
could recommend any Irish musicians from Chicago to play at President 
Clinton's final St. Patrick's Day in the White House. Sean put in a 
plug for his dad and some dancers from the Irish dance school he 
attended in Chicago. He and his sister were able to watch as their dad 
played for the President and First Lady.
  Sean also was that rare South Sider who was a Chicago Cubs fan, which 
is a big deal in Chicago. He was a regular at Cubs spring training in 
Arizona with his friends from WGN television and radio. He never missed 
the big game, which ranged from opening day to game 7 of the World 
Series, to any random Tuesday when the Cubs were well out of playoff 
contention. He loved the sport, the Cubs, and Wrigley Field, and to 
experience those days with his family and friends.
  Sean was incredibly proud to have helped make Kerry Wood Cubs Field--
which has given countless Chicago children the chance to play 
baseball--a reality during his time in the Governor's office.
  He also loved people. Sean's husband Sebastian said they could go 
into a restaurant or bar where neither of them knew anyone, and by the 
time they left, Sean knew everyone and had the phone numbers of 10 new 
friends in his pocket. As one of Sean's friends said, ``He left every 
room better than when he came in.''
  But what Sean loved most of all was helping others. He was a good, 
honorable man who believed that government could make life better for 
people and that public service was a privilege. He could often be heard 
saying, ``How can I help?'' He had a tremendous impact on the lives of 
people in Chicago, in Illinois, across America, and beyond. His 
contributions will make a difference for years to come, and he will be 
deeply missed.
  Sean's funeral mass was held at Old St. Pat's Parish Church in 
Chicago. The church was filled with hundreds of floral arrangements and 
packed with his friends and countless people whose lives he touched. 
The last song they played, of course, was an Irish tune called ``The 
Parting Glass.'' It is about a man who is leaving his friends behind. 
It includes the lines:

       Come fill to me the parting glass. Good night and joy be 
     with you all.

  That is how Sean would want to be remembered--as a good man who used 
his short time on Earth to make the world better and bring joy to so 
many people.
  Loretta and I send our deepest condolences to Sean's husband 
Sebastian Contreras, Jr.; his mother Mary; his siblings, Michael, 
Daniel, and Colleen; his niece and nephew, Declan and Delaney; and to 
Sean's friends--too numerous to count. May you find comfort in your 
memories.