A dispatcher from Somerset County could not release information about the cause of the fire, and authorities declined to say whether the cause was considered suspicious, according to the report. Detectives from the county’s arson task force and major crimes unit have been assigned to the case. 
Mr. Sheridan, 72, began his work at Cooper in 2005 as senior executive vice president. He was appointed president and CEO in 2008. Ms. Sheridan, 69, was a retired teacher. They are survived by their four sons and several grandchildren.
“Working closely with John, I was able to see firsthand his quiet strength, his deciseveness, and his passionate belief that Cooper not only could make a difference in people’s lives, it had an obligation to do so,” Adrienne Kirby, president and CEO of Cooper University Health Care, said in a statement.
George E. Norcross III, chairman of the hospital’s board of trustees, described Mr. Sheridan as a true gentleman and outstanding leader. “It is hard to overstate how great a loss John’s death is to his family, friends, coworkers and Cooper,” Mr. Norcross said in a statement. “He was a friend, a mentor and a role model. There is no one else who has had as big an impact on me as John did except my father. I will miss him very much.”
Before joining Cooper, Mr. Sheridan was a senior partner and co-chairman of New Jersey law firm Riker, Danzig, Riker. He also served for several years as general counsel to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the Carrier Clinic in Belle Meade, N.J.
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