On Tuesday, March 25, 2014 Sheila Catherine Williams, passed away peacefully at the Victoria Hospital at the age of 87 years.

Sheila is survived by sons Wayne (Lorraine) and Glen (Sheila); grandsons Jason, Derek, Kevin (mom Jackie), Shawn, Brett and Robin; great grandchildren Sawyer and Corbin; and step grandchildren Dalsin and Bianca. She was predeceased by her husband Frank in 1997.

            Sheila was born July 12, 1926 to Fred and Hilda McQuade, and grew up in East Kildonan. Her two trademarks were her vibrant head of red hair and equally vibrant personality. A fun-loving, positive person, her outgoing, caring personality touched many hearts in her travels.

            One of the first hearts Sheila touched was her husband Frank. Once married, Frank and Sheila bought a home at 170 Linden Avenue, just a short walk from the home that Sheila had lived in with her family at 149 Linden Avenue. After Frank passed away in 1997, Sheila – after having lived in the home at 170 Linden Avenue for 53 years – moved into an apartment at 1660 Henderson Highway, wanting to keep her ties with East Kildonan intact.

            Sheila’s whole world revolved around a very small area of East Kildonan due mainly to the friendships she had developed – long-term friendships that she treasured. She also made many long-term friendships in the years she spent working at Birk’s Jewellers and then as a teaching assistant at Norquay School. The circle of friends that she made working at Norquay, led by the principal Mr. Pelletier, continued to meet for lunch at Rae and Jerry’s as recently as a couple of years ago. At 1660 Henderson, it was the norm for Sheila and her friends to leave their doors open so they could walk into each other’s apartment so they could visit for tea or conversation during the course of the day. One day, when the elevator wasn’t working, Sheila walked down eight floors to catch a bus to the casino with her friends. She was always a people person, and wasn’t about to be denied the pleasure of their company.

            Not surprisingly, Sheila was also a devoted mother. After her sons Wayne and Glen were born, the family spent many years camping and going on family trips. Her unique sense of style carried through even to camping sites, where she could often be seen preparing meals on the Coleman stove in white slacks – not exactly the best clothing colour to be roughing it in. Many summers were also spent at Lac du Bonnet with close friends Beryl and Peter Larsson.

            Later, when Frank pursued his dream of building a cabin cruiser boat, Sheila supported that dream without reservation. Then, after Frank acquired a beautiful piece of lakefront property at Hillside Beach, she and Frank built a family cottage, putting it together piece by piece as they could afford it. That cabin was a great source of pleasure for Sheila and Frank. Not only was it close to her sister Audrey and brother-in-law Ralph’s cottage, but it served as a base for family and friends to gather, spending many a night laughing and having dances and parties in the half-built cottage. Sheila was known to play her ukulele and sing a vast repertoire of songs at those gatherings, much to everyone’s delight.

            In 2010, Sheila moved into Sterling House in Lindenwoods with major reservations. Most of her life had been spent in East Kildonan, and she now had to move to the city’s south end so Glen could be nearby to care for her. It didn’t take Sheila much time to adjust to her new setting. Before long, she had another circle of friends who all came to love this fun-loving lady because of her light-hearted attitude and endless supply of jokes. Sheila always carried a $20 bill with her with naked men on it, and often passed it off to unsuspecting people to see how they would react to the somewhat racy currency. Suffice it to say, her nearly three years at Sterling House were a great experience for everyone.

            Most of all, Sheila loved having friends and family around her. We will always remember her birthday parties and family dinners, occasions where she could be counted on to show up in the most hilarious hat you’d ever seen. Her sense of humour was infectious, and made every gathering a memorable one.

Sheila’s passing has left us with a hole in our hearts and lives, but we rest easy in the knowledge that she has gone to join her love, Frank. Her fun-loving personality touched a lot of hearts; she was a ray of light in every situation, and her gift of humour and positivity will never be forgotten.

            A private Family Service will be held at a later date.

The family would like to give special thanks to Dr. Previne Mehta, who treated mom like she was a member of his family. We would also like to thank Dr. Johnson and Dr. Ogaranko at Cancer Care at the Victoria Hospital, and her nurses on the fifth floor. Through all of Sheila’s health challenges, there were numerous health care providers who cared for her and made the experience as comfortable as possible. Many of you became very close to her, and we appreciate how gently you cared for her. 

            In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Winnipeg Humane Society or Cancer Care Manitoba in Sheila’s memory.