* James E. Sheldon; Radio Entertainer

James E. Sheldon, a longtime KVEN-AM deejay who entertained radio audiences from 1963 to 1977 with his on-air antics, died of a heart attack Nov. 22. He was 57.

His morning show, called the “Sunrise Circus,” was spiced with skits and a litany of characters, including Bermuda Schwartz and Sheldon’s make-believe love interest, Gorilla Girl.

While his daily deluge of humor made him a Ventura celebrity, his life since he left broadcasting was decidedly quiet.

His sister, Beverly Davis, said Sheldon’s personality was always a dichotomy.

“He was a bit of a showman,” Davis said, “but he was kind of a recluse too.”

When Sheldon left the Ventura radio station, he worked as a real estate agent. About five years ago, he started selling hearing aids.

Art Tidy, a close friend who worked with him at KVEN, said Sheldon was burned out from the stresses of a daily radio show. “I think he missed the fun stuff, but it got pretty hectic,” Tidy said.

Sheldon suffered from high blood pressure and had open heart surgery a few years ago. Friends say he tried to limit the stress in his daily life, and could often be seen riding to work on his bicycle.

At the mobile-home park where he lived, neighbors remembered him as an easy-going man who seemed to be happy. Occasionally, he would slip on leather driving gloves to take his vintage El Camino with flared rear tail lights for a spin around town.

Most days though, he spent the morning sitting by the pool reading the newspaper or the latest spy thriller.

“He was a really pleasant guy--he always had a joke or story to surprise you with,” said Hal Simon, a friend who liked to exchange one-liners with Sheldon while sitting by the pool.

In the last two months of his life, Sheldon’s heart condition worsened. At one point, he was hospitalized for two weeks, Davis said.

She had expected him to visit the family for Thanksgiving, but couldn’t reach him so she asked a neighbor to look in on him. “They found him sitting in his easy chair in the living room,” Davis said. “He still had his glasses on. I like to think that he died peacefully.”

Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Ted Mayr Funeral Home, Ventura.