Sean Arthur Flaherty's Obituary
Sean Arthur Flaherty was born on June 11th, 1996 in Peoria, Illinois and passed in his sleep on June 10th, 2024, one day before his 28th birthday. While he was taken from us too soon, Sean truly lived every day to the fullest and reminds us all to do the same.
Sean was predeceased by his grandparents, Art Dors, Jerry Flaherty, and Agnes Dors, and his cousin, Kara Holdren. He is survived by his parents, Voni and Tim, his brother and dear friend, Connor, and Connor’s wife Jen. He is also survived by his grandmother, Mary Lynn Flaherty, his aunts and uncles, Victoria (Gary) Holdren, KC (Chris) Dors, Rich Dors, Greg Dors, Michael (Linda) Flaherty, Jerry Flaherty Jr., and his cousins, Preston (Annie) Holdren, Ross (Libby) Holdren, Claire (Peter) Murphy, Graham Holdren, Ryan (Andrea) Flaherty, Daniel (Ruth) Flaherty, and John Flaherty. Sean is also survived by his many dear friends, whom he cherished.
Growing up in Peoria, Illinois, Sean attended Charter Oak Grade School, Washington Gifted School, and Richwoods High School. Memories of Sean’s childhood include him and many friends “roaming” the neighborhoods and woods near our home, ghillie suits, bow and arrows, toilet paper, and bad ideas — all of which resulted in laughing kids telling stories of their adventures.
Connor and Sean were blessed to be raised near their grandparents, Jerry and Lynn Flaherty, and their uncle, Jerry Flaherty, Jr. Holidays, birthday parties, sleepovers, boating, Euchre, and paintballing (Grandma) all come to mind as part of a happy and spirited childhood.
Sean enjoyed a variety of sports, starting at age 6, including wrestling, soccer, football, baseball, track and field, and a little bit of boxing. He played baseball, football and ran track through high school. Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Sean ran the 400 meters in track, often lagging at the back of the pack and then reeling in exhausted competitors with a final 100 yard “kick”, much to the delight of his grandmother. This was just one example of a strong Sean trait — doing things his way.
Sean continued his love of sports and the outdoors throughout his life. Sean enjoyed snowboarding, shooting, fishing, and hiking. He loved all kinds of music, art, and people. He was an avid reader, enjoying a variety of subjects, from philosophy to physics. More than anything, Sean loved spending quality time with his family and friends.
Sean graduated from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in 2018 with degrees in Finance and International Business. While a student at Kelley, he studied abroad in Copenhagen and traveled throughout Europe. Sean loved traveling and especially the people he met and the stories they created along the way. Family trips included numerous U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Ireland, and the Caribbean. In true Sean fashion, even after visiting all of the places mentioned above, he declared that his favorite vacations were our summer trips to the Wisconsin Dells. Who could argue — great, great friends, water parks, ball pits, beef jerky, and sword shops!
After graduating from IU, Sean moved to Chicago and worked in strategic business consulting and research. Sean was an important part of the family business, Warming Trends, for many years. In 2022, Sean moved to Nashville to attend the MBA program at Vanderbilt University. While he moved to Nashville to advance his career, Sean found something more there.
Sean met his beloved girlfriend Sarah Davis in 2023. They complemented each other perfectly and made a lovely home with their two cats, Doug and Elwood Blues. To his family’s delight, Sean and Sarah were looking for a home in Colorado, to be near his parents and especially his brother and dear friend, Connor. We take great peace knowing Sean made a beautiful life with his true love and that he and Sarah had such wonderful plans together.
How do you capture the essence of such a beautiful person? Sean was classically handsome, with a warm, genuine, and infectious smile that we will always remember. When Sean was happy, the whole room was happy. He had his own wonderful sense of style and never took himself too seriously. Sean was funny, charismatic, and unapologetically himself. Sean treasured his family and friends above all else and was fiercely loyal in return. No matter what was going on in Sean’s life, he always made time to listen to and help others. Simply put, Sean lived a full life, and his loss will be felt by the many people lucky enough to call him a friend. Sean was a bright light in our lives.
Sean, you left us too soon. You blessed our lives, and we will carry you with us until we meet again. We love you.
There will be a Celebration of Sean’s life on August 24th, 2024 at 11:00 am at Seven Stones Botanical Garden Cemetery, 9635 N Rampart Range Road, Littleton, Colorado, 80125. In the spirit of celebrating Sean’s life, attire is festive, smart casual, and we ask that you wear shades of blue (Sean’s favorite color) or similarly upbeat colors.
Donations in Sean’s memory may be made to Colorado Youth Outdoors, a non-profit organization focusing on building and strengthening family relationships through outdoor recreation. Donations may be made at https://coloradoyo.networkforgood.com/projects/155282-everyday-donation-page.
Spring Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery is honored to be entrusted with handling Sean's arrangements. Please visit his guestbook to leave a thoughtful note for the family.
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