Obituary of Sheila Y. Sherman

Sheila Yvonne Sherman, 66, of Todd, North Carolina passed away in her home on July 27, 2016, surrounded by friends and family and her fiercely protective Chihuahua, Renegade. Sheila was born in Northville, Michigan on February 2, 1950. She lived in Wheat Ridge, Colorado through tenth grade and completed high school in Walled Lake, Michigan. Sheila graduated from Oakland University with a degree in Business and later received her Masters Degree in Industrial Arts with a teaching certificate from Appalachian State University. After dabbling in the corporate world selling bras for Playtex and cookies for Nabisco, Sheila found her true path. She worked as a woodworker, a home-inspector, a builder, a landscaper, and, most significantly, as a teacher throughout the rest of her life. She also worked at Goodnight Brothers in Boone and is a long-time member of the Watauga Farmers Market. Sheila lived her life with integrity, compassion, and a sense of adventure. Sheila was an explorer. At 22 years old she left a note on her moms bureau--Hey Mom, I am headed to South America. Ill call when I get there. Many more adventures followed. She travelled around the world starting in London and travelling through Greece, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Pakistan. She joined the Peace Corps when she was 30 and served as a volunteer in the Eastern Caribbean. She met Alicia Breton, another Peace Corps volunteer, and after 35 years of a loving, collaborative life together, they were married on January 21, 2014. Sheila loved fishing, working with her hands, and travelling, especially to the beach in Florida and Mexico. She loved engaging with young people and asking them the critical questions that often generated meaningful discourse. And she loved her dogs! Sheila is preceded in death by her mother, Eleanor Sherman; father, John Sherman, and brother, John Jr. She is survived by her spouse, Alicia Breton; sister, Sandy Oak; brother-in-law, Bob Oak, and nieces Hannah and Hillary. Also surviving are her brother-in-law, Buddy Breton, his wife Kyong, and their children Angela, Hank and wife Tressa and son Hank V. She is survived by her Peace Corps sister, Mary Kent Whitaker, and last, but not least, Sheila is survived by her Chihuahua, Renegade. Visitation will be Saturday July 30 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Austin & Barnes Funeral Home. A celebration of life service will be held at 4:00 pm immediately following the visitation in the Austin & Barnes Chapel. Friends and family are encouraged to bring an anecdote or memory of Sheila to share. During the service friends and family will have the opportunity to give a written memory to Alicia (her spouse), to read their memory aloud, or to ask one of the speakers to read it aloud. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network by visiting In Memory of Sheila Sherman at this site: http://support.pancan.org/site/TR/DIY/DIYTeamraisers?px=2202469&pg=personal&fr_id=1081 Online condolences may be shared with the family at the website www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com. Austin & Barnes Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family.