Former Waco Mayor Bob Sheehy

WACO (December 3, 2012)—Former Waco Mayor James Robert “Bob” Sheehy died Sunday after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.

He was 82.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Louis Catholic Church and burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery.

A rosary will be recited at 6 p.m. Friday followed by visitation at 6:30 p.m. at Oakcrest Funeral Home at 4520 Bosque Blvd. in Waco.

Sheehy was a Waco native and a graduate of Waco High School and the New Mexico Military Institute.

He attended the University of Texas and then Baylor University, from which he received a law degree.

After serving in the U.S. Air Force, he joined his father and brother to practice law in Waco.

He was elected to the Waco City Council in 1991 and was elected mayor the next year.

During his two terms, the city established a system of neighborhood associations that continues to function today.

He also helped guide the city through the Branch Davidian standoff in 1993, during which an international media spotlight was focused on the city.