Sheila Kisseloff was born on March 28, 1941 and passed away at the age of 81, on January 26, 2023, in the comfort of her own home. She is predeceased by her parents, Anna Yarish Kisseloff and Sam Kisseloff, brother Paul, and sister-in-law Anita.
She is survived by her partner of 51 years - John Murphy, her nephew Steven Kisseloff; her nieces and their husbands - Shari & Rob Telfer and Susan & Kelley Spillane; great-nieces - Jennifer Hook, Christina and Alexandra Telfer; great-nephew and niece - Jimmy and Casey Spillane; and cousins Harvey Rys, Charles Yarish, and Alan Straus.
Sheila grew up in the Bronx ... watching her older brother play stickball; hanging out at Vyse Avenue with her group of friends; swimming; ice skating; and when she started playing tennis at the age of 15, that became her lifelong hobby. She also liked playing blackjack, the slots, and going to the racetrack.
Sheila moved to Manhattan in her late teens. She was exceptionally smart and skipped 2 grades, graduating high school well ahead of her peers. She was a true New Yorker ... a city gal who would never even consider living in the country (a.k.a. "the suburbs"). She worked for years at a couple of different real estate companies as an Executive Administrator but Wallach Management is where she met her dear friend, Fran Goldin. Fran continued to call her every day, twice a day, for years after she moved to Florida to make sure she was doing well. One of her closest and dearest friends was Jerry, who took her to the ballet and out to dinner every Saturday night.
Sheila was always very popular and had a large group of friends because, as anyone who ever met Sheila will tell you, she was truly a lovely person inside and out. Her friends became like sisters and she kept in touch with many throughout the decades. MaryAnn and Judy were always checking in and visiting; and that's just to name a few. She always had a big smile on her face and never had a bad word to say about anyone or anything. Her grace and dignity were remarkable and inspirational. She was a woman with a sharp wit and great energy towards her friends and family, especially her longtime love, John. John and Sheila shared their lives for 51 years and he loves her very much.
Her beauty and style were unmatched. She always wore the most fashionable clothes, with coordinated accessories that highlighted her red hair and kind eyes. She enjoyed red wine, rainbow cookies, and Italian food. She loved to travel and visited a vast number of countries and islands with many of her of closest friends, Italy being the favorite.
Her nieces and nephew idolized her as their cool aunt throughout their childhood and as a second mother in their adulthood. She was always there for them with guidance and love. She would bring them gifts from her travels around the globe including dolls from different countries for Shari and Susan; and plates for their mother. The greatest memories include going to Broadway musicals and visiting the Bronx Zoo. She always remembered their birthdays and their children's birthdays and always made them feel special. Everyone looked forward to Thanksgiving each year because we knew that was her favorite holiday and the family would have the pleasure of spending it altogether.
We are heartbroken to see her gone but so happy she is not suffering anymore ... her quality of life the past few years had slowly diminished but her spirit stayed positive and strong until her final day. Her caregivers were angels sent from Heaven and we will be forever grateful for the dedication and love that they showed her, especially Shelly McNichols, who was also a close friend. Sheila will be dearly missed but we are so glad she is now at peace and reunited with her family and friends who have gone before her. We look forward to seeing her again someday.
If you would like to make a charitable donation in Sheila Kisseloff’s name: please see link below for NAMI (“National Alliance for Mental Illness”). Link below, under Donations.
A memorial service for Sheila will be held Tuesday, January 31, 2023 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
DONACIONES
National Alliance on Mental Illness4301 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22203
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