South Side native with ‘infectious smile’ worked in Clinton White House
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.
“I am not exaggerating, the guy walked in our office and I think within the first day we were like ‘Who the ---k is this kid?’ He was amazing,” said Kris Balderston, who was Mr. O’Shea’s boss while he worked for a semester as a White House intern in the Office of Cabinet Affairs under former President Bill Clinton.
“He totally stood out from every intern we ever had. He was like ‘F--- 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,’” Balderston said.
After Mr. O’Shea graduated from DePaul University, he was soon welcomed back to the White House.
“He got there on his own, by clawing and having this infectious smile,” said Patrick Souders, a close friend who serves as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.
Mr. O’Shea served as a conduit between the White House and the department heads of various federal agencies in response to natural disasters, cyber terrorism and aviation accidents, among other things — all while in his early 20s.
“He had some classic run-ins with department heads who told him ‘Don’t bother us, White House staffer, we’re doing our own thing,’ and Sean would basically say ‘No. You’re not. You’re working for the Clinton administration,’” Souders said.
Mr. O’Shea, who also worked as a top aide to former Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, died Jan. 3 from brain cancer. He was 46.
“Sean O’Shea was a born and bred Chicago South Sider and a true public servant, who never forgot where he was from,” Bill Clinton said in a statement. “He made a vital impact on millions of people’s lives through his tireless efforts in Washington, New York, and across Illinois to enhance our infrastructure, protect our air and water, and make marriage equality legal in the Land of Lincoln.
“While his life was far too short, Sean will remain an inspiration to anyone looking to make a lasting difference in and out of government service. Our thoughts and prayers are with his husband, Sebastian, and his entire family.”
Mr. O’Shea once brought his sister, Colleen O’Shea, to a White House Christmas party.
“We took a picture in the Oval Office and ran in circles around the Rose Garden,” she said.
Mr. O’Shea was a rare die-hard South Side Cubs fan and a regular at spring training. He and his three siblings grew up competing in Irish dance. It was a parentally mandated pursuit that left Mr. O’Shea with a love-hate relationship with jigs and reels that tipped toward love as an adult; he was known to display his skills after a few pints.
Mr. O’Shea was quick to smile but no pushover.
This was evident in 2012 when then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel stormed up to Mr. O’Shea at a party at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. Emanuel started yelling in Sean’s face and pointing his finger.
The beef: Mr. O’Shea had blocked the approval of city bike lanes because they were on state roads, which required additional studies.
“Sean didn’t back down one inch and politely told Rahm he was flat out wrong and to get out of his face,” longtime friend Andrew Ross recalled.
Emanuel, who’s serving as U.S. Ambassador to Japan, sent flowers to Mr. O’Shea’s funeral.
Mr. O’Shea’s late father, Joe, worked for the city’s water department. His mother, Mary, had an office job for the Cook County assessor.
Quinn said of Mr. O’Shea, “He was very knowledgeable and knew how to make things happen, and you need people like that in government that can do big things and cut red tape.”
While working for Quinn, Mr. O’Shea helped get the major overhaul of Chicago’s Circle Interchange off the ground, secured state funding for Kerry Wood Cubs Field and was instrumental in helping persuade several legislators to vote in favor of legalizing gay marriage.
That law meant Mr. O’Shea could marry his love, Sebastian Contreras Jr.
“We traveled the world together,” Contreras said. The couple lived in Bucktown.
Mr. O’Shea later was a partner in Alexander, Borovicka & O’Shea Government Solutions lobbying firm.
Mr. O’Shea is survived by his mother, Mary and brothers Michael and Daniel.
Services have been held.