Bill Sheffield was the fifth governor of Alaska, serving from 1982 to 1986 as a Democrat. Sheffield had a longtime companion, Cheri McGuire. His wife Lee Sheffield died in 1978.
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From 1946 to 1949, he served in the United States Army and attended DeVry University, then DeForest Training School. In 1953, Sheffield relocated to Alaska.
Bill Sheffield served as governor from 1982 to 1986. Sheffield’s tenure as governor was marred by controversy, including attempts to impeach him.
Sheffield, while governor, pushed through the Alaska state legislature an unpopular bill to consolidate the state’s time zones. Before the passage of this legislation, Alaska was divided into four time zones (Pacific, Yukon, Alaska-Hawaii, and Bering).
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Sheffield served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Alaska Railroad from 1985 to 1997 after leaving the position of Governor.
He was promoted to President and CEO of the railroad in 1997, a position he held until 2001. He was Vice Chairman of the railroad’s Board of Directors in 2008.
Bill Sheffield passed away on November 4, 2022. He was 94. A statement provided by friends of Sheffield said he died Friday at his home in Anchorage.
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