Sheila passed away peacefully at Deerwood Creek Care Community in Toronto at the age of 86. She is survived and will be deeply missed by her brother Bob (Kathy), her children Kirk (Nikki), Rob (Shannon) and Meg (Robert), and as beloved Nana to her grandchildren Kate and Kieran. She is predeceased by her husband Michael Bruce Hutchison and her parents Robert Sturgeon and Ethel Margaret Kirk (nee Christie).

Sheila was born and raised in Toronto where she graduated from Vaughan Road Collegiate in 1955 after being named “Miss Vaughan” as Queen of the Prom. She attended Victoria College at the University of Toronto where she met Mike, the love of her life and best friend for over 50 years, along with many lifelong friends whom she and Mike felt blessed to be so close to for so many years.

After graduating in 1958, Sheila followed in her father’s footsteps as a teacher. She and Mike were married in 1960 and settled in the west end of Toronto. While they had the opportunity to visit many corners of the globe with Mike’s work, they were always happiest at home surrounded by family, friends, neighbours, and their beloved beagles.

Sheila was a beautiful, loving, funny, bright, and vital person. She was a gracious hostess of regular dinner parties, family gatherings, and swarms of her children’s friends on Jackson Avenue, and was an active volunteer for her causes and at her children’s schools. She and Mike served for decades in several roles at Hillcrest Christian Church in Toronto, which was another special place for the family and their many friends there. She cherished the women in her close social circles as a long-time member of the Junior League of Toronto, the Vic Book Club, her bridge club, and as a willing participant in frequent ladies’ outings where occasional shenanigans ensued.

As the eldest grandchild of Charlie and Nellie Christie, Sheila was the matriarch of her generation for the large extended family at the cottages on Gull Lake in Minden, with a lifetime of warm summer memories. One of her grandchildren's favourite memories was learning to swing dance under the stars with Sheila and Mike to their favourite song “Rag Mop” on the front porch of the green cottage.

While her final years were difficult, Sheila was in excellent care with the wonderful team at Deerwood Creek, always smiling with her signature lipstick on.

A memorial service will be held at Turner & Porter Yorke Chapel, 2357 Bloor St. W in Toronto on Thursday, March 23. 2023 with visitation at 2 p.m. and service at 3 p.m. Sheila will be laid to rest this summer beside Mike with a beautiful view of Gull Lake.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Sheila may be made to Hillcrest Christian Church or the CAMH Today Campaign to reverse the progression of dementia.

LINKS:
https://hillcrestdisciples.wordpress.com/donate/

https://www.camh.ca/en/today-campaign/areas-of-impact/reversing-memory-loss