On November 18, 2023 Sheila peacefully passed away at St. Jude’s Anglican Home, her home for 11 years. For more than 15 years Sheila lived a grace-filled and blessed life within the confines of progressive dementia and Alzheimer’s. Despite the challenges of her illness, Sheila blessed many with her gentle spirit and love of beautiful things. Sheila was predeceased in July 2023, by her daughter Myra and leaves to mourn her husband Will, her sons and their wives, Ewan (Cindy), David (Lael) and Ron (Patsy), her 11 grandchildren, her brother Eric Hunter, her cousin Edwina Ireland, her nephew Tom Hunter and many dear friends and extended family around the world.
Sheila was born in Motherwell, Scotland and grew up in the small town of Newarthill just outside Motherwell. Her early years were marked by the loss of both her parents, her father in 1938 and her mother in 1942. Sheila and her 2 brothers, Gordon and Eric, were raised by their paternal grandparents and were part of a loving family circle that included devoted aunts, uncles and cousins. At the centre of the family’s life was the local church where Sheila forged lifetime friendships and developed the deep and abiding faith in Jesus that carried her through the highs and lows of her very full life.
During the tough years of the second world war, Sheila carried on with life as a keen student in the village school then the senior school at Bellshill Academy. Sheila often shared with her children her many happy childhood memories including summer family trips to Rothesay on the Firth of Clyde as well as accounts of constant air raids during the war years. We are the richer for Mum’s heritage of loving family, many dear friends and her strong Christian faith. During those teen years in Scotland, Sheila met Will Wilding, the son of missionaries who had moved to Scotland during the war years. Will and Sheila began their courtship in the early 1950s and before Will immigrated to Canada with his family in 1953, it was clear that marriage was in their plans.
In 1955 Sheila visited Vancouver to see what this place called Canada was all about and by the end of her visit, they were engaged to be married. The wedding was held in Scotland in March 1956 and soon thereafter Sheila moved to Vancouver, leaving many dear family and friends with whom she faithfully corresponded by mail and visited in person during many return visits to Scotland.
Their marriage and the move to Canada represented a new life for both Sheila and Will and they embraced the many opportunities that Canada presented for a young married couple. Soon their one-level home on West 12th and Vine was filled to overflowing with the sounds of an active family as four kids arrived in rapid succession in the period between July 1957 and December 1961. The move to a larger home on West 39th in 1962 was very timely. While Will worked hard to establish and grow his architectural practice, Sheila worked tirelessly to keep the home fires burning and flourished in her role as a very busy mother of 4, friend to many and beacon of hospitality in the family home.
Summers were spent with much time outdoors at Maple Grove Park and Jericho Beach in Vancouver, at the cottage in Penticton at Skaha Lake and later at Anvil Island where Sheila was in her element, spending time at her beloved cottage by the sea and at Anvil Camp just up the hill. Sheila loved the outdoors and took great delight in observing God’s wonderful creation. Family responsibilities kept Sheila hopping, but she always had time to serve others by lending a hand or listening ear and soft words of comfort and encouragement that came from the heart. Church life was at the centre of Sheila and Will’s life as they helped found a neighbourhood church, Marineview Chapel. Sheila’s lifelong devotion to scripture reading and prayer sustained her strong faith in God’s lovingkindness. Sheila lived a full and fruitful life, with both joy and suffering, at times battling clinical depression and adapting to new and often challenging circumstances, especially in later years.
Sheila took great delight in her grandchildren and devoted much time to caring for them, taking them on excursions and imparting the wisdom of her years and experience. Nana was loved by her grandchildren and will be greatly missed. Although her later years were marked by loss of short-term memory, Sheila never forgot that she was loved by God and lived accordingly. This was evidenced by the way she was able to speak verses of scripture memorized decades before and to sing songs learned in her youth. The joy that she expressed despite the limitations of her life and her concern for others in need were an example that her family will never forget. We are eternally grateful to God for Sheila’s life and how she blessed us all. We are also very grateful for the loving care given to Sheila by the many staff members at St. Jude’s.
A service of thanksgiving to God for Sheila’s life will be held on April 8, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. at St. John’s Vancouver Anglican Church, located at 5350 Baillie Street, Vancouver, BC (Oakridge Adventist church building) followed by an afternoon tea reception. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in Sheila’s memory to St. Jude’s Anglican Home - https://stjudes.bc.ca/donations or Daybreak Point Bible Camp at Anvil Island - www.anvilisland.ca/donate/#donate-how