The Life Story of Nina Sheridan

There are people whose love creates a kind of gravity — a natural force that draws people in, holds families close, and keeps hearts anchored.  For her family, for every child who ever crossed her threshold, for every person who ever felt truly heard in her presence, Nina Sheridan was that person. She pulled people toward one another, held her family together, and made every person who came near feel rooted, welcomed, and claimed.   Those who loved her best called her “Ma” and the name fit.

Nina “Ma” Sheridan moved on to the next stage of her journey on November 16, 2025, at home in Suffolk, Virginia, wrapped in care and held by tender hands as she drifted off to sleep. She left this world exactly as she lived in it: surrounded, supported, and deeply loved.

Her story began on May 9, 1963, in Tachikawa, Japan, born to Tamiko Kato and John Mark Phillips Sr. Life soon brought her the extraordinary gift of another father, Reginald Arthur Sheridan, who adopted her, embraced her, and became the true daddy of her heart.

Nina spent her childhood moving between Japan and the United States, with the family finally settling in Tide Mill in Hampton in the 1970s. The blending of these cultures rooted in her a love of people, language, culture, and exploration that shaped the rest of her life. She was a spirited ’70s wild child — the kind of girl who would hop the fence at a nearby farm so she could ride the horses bareback. That mix of fearlessness, curiosity, and independent streak never left her. It was no surprise to anyone who knew her that she gravitated toward travel, new ideas, and any chance to learn something unexpected.

She mothered four daughters, Asia, Nia, Desiree, and Olivia, and she claimed two sons of her heart, Joshua and Christopher — and then went on to mother half the world besides.

The truth is that her heart was big enough to mother any who needed it. She never turned her back on a child. Every young person who entered her home was welcomed, fed, cared for, and folded in. She loved not only her own children and grandchildren, but their friends and anyone connected to them — once you were part of her circle, you were hers. Her home became a refuge for those who needed warmth, food, laughter, and a place to belong.

Her family smiles now, remembering what many don’t know: for all her “tough chick” reputation, Nina was tender-hearted, sensitive, and easily moved. Her strength came from her softness, not in spite of it. Some people become bitter when they go through grief or loss or hurt, but Nina turned these experiences into a motivation of “not on my watch” and let it fuel her open heart and nurturing spirit. Every hard thing she lived through only strengthened her resolve to care more, love bigger, and make sure that no one around her ever felt unseen or unprotected.

Curiosity was her constant companion. Nina could dive into nearly any topic — history, culture, music, random facts, or even conspiracy theories on YouTube — and she would talk with you about it as if you were the only person in the world. When Nina talked to you, she paid attention. She listened with her whole face, her whole presence. When you left, you felt like she was truly interested and you knew that she honestly cared.

She worked many jobs over the years, gaining skills in several industries, until she found her true niche in the late 1990s as a Travel Advisor. It suited her perfectly: her love of culture, her desire to help people explore, her gift for making others feel confident and cared for. Through her work, she opened doors to unforgettable experiences for countless clients, guiding them as they created memories around the world.

But for all her passions — and she had many — nothing held her heart like her family.

She loved her siblings deeply:  Linda (William), John Jr. (Myra), Yvette (Terry), Tonya (Gordon), and Dianne.  And her grandchildren — all fifteen of them — were her greatest joy and greatest pride:  Tamiko, Takao, Sora, Paul, Danika, Kaze, Taiyo, Cole, Shaun, Nalani, Joshua, Matthew, Isaiah, Deanthony, and Dawayne.  To them, she wasn’t just Grandma — she was the best damn grandma in the world.

If you knew Nina during the pandemic, you know that she fed her family through lockdown with the force of a one-woman army. She cooked and fed people until they popped. The family likes to joke that they collectively gained 200 pounds because she refused to let anyone feel alone during those uncertain days. She made feeding people into an art form.

Her hobbies were as colorful as her personality — crocheting bright blankets, collecting yarn, listening to Stevie Nicks and classic rock, jumping down YouTube rabbit holes, and filling her home with food, noise, stories, and joy. She had a smile that could light up a room — and, with fierce affection, the family wants it noted that the woman had absolutely no rhythm. Somehow that only made her more lovable.

In every season of her life, Nina loved with an open heart and an “all-in” spirit. She was a protector. A nurturer. And to the people who knew her best, she was ours— a woman who made everyone feel like they belonged. She was not perfect, but she modeled love, care, and loyalty in a most perfect way. She firmly believed that bonds of affection were equally as important as bonds of blood; to be her chosen family was just as real, just as committed, just as all-encompassing, as any shared DNA.

Nina Sheridan lived a life full of color, curiosity, humor, and boundless love. She leaves behind not just a family, but a legacy of generosity that spans generations. She didn’t simply raise children; she raised communities. She didn’t simply give love; she multiplied it.

Nina believed she was merely moving on to the next stage, her next great adventure — and in that spirit, her story continues in every person she fed, taught, protected, welcomed, and loved. Though she is no longer at the center of her family’s daily world, the gravity she created remains. The love she taught them — open, generous, and all-embracing — will keep them connected to one another, grounded in her example, and held together by the very force she spent her whole life giving away.

Cremation Society of Virginia, Chesapeake Office, is assisting the family during this time. Friends and family are invited to share their condolences and memories online at www.vacremationsociety.com.

The family would like to thank Sentara Hospice for their compassionate care and support. Their gentle, attentive presence allowed us to spend precious, uninterrupted time with Ma — a gift we will forever be grateful for.

In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting friends in sending Christmas gifts from Ma to her beloved grands.  Details for this will be posted as soon as possible.