Sheila Marie Harmell

Sheila entered into rest on March 30, 2026. Sheila was born February 23, 1954 in Oakland, CA to Ferne and Wallace (Wally) Harmell. At 11 months old, they moved to San Jose, CA where they lived until September 1990, at which time Sheila moved with her parents to Sun City, AZ. Sheila attended and graduated from Branham High School in 1972. While in San Jose, Sheila attended Hope Lutheran Church where she was Baptized and Confirmed. While in High School, Sheila and her folks transferred to St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church where several of her high school classmates attended church. While there, Sheila was involved in choir and bell choir. She also became a fan of the theater and concerts.

Sheila was a Blue Bird and Camp Fire Girl in her younger years. She always wanted to be the top sales person for their candy sales and also any selling contests that were done in her school. She also was involved as a Junior USO volunteer during her high school days. In her senior year of high school, she was a bannerette, carrying the school banner in front of the band at football games and in parades. Sheila later began to square and round dance, both of which she loved. She would learn both the women and men's parts so if there was a lack of men, she would put on her scarf, change her badge to Steven and dance the men's part.

When she moved to Sun City, she did not bother to search around for a church as one of her Pastors in San Jose told her about American Lutheran Church and the great choir and bell choir they had. She joined both and was in them until she had to give them up when her dad developed cancer and she had to be available as his and her mom's driver.

Two weeks after she moved to Sun City, she was able to find work at Boswell hospital where she worked for close to 30 years as a switchboard operator (mostly 3rd Shift) until she was forced to take a medical retirement.

Sheila joined Sun City Players Community Theater in 1993 and after being a member for 25 years, became an honorary member. Most of the time she was involved with ticket sales and ushering and for a few years as the house manager in charge of the ushers until her health wouldn't let her. She still continued going to all the plays and meetings and helped out with anything her health would let her do.

Sheila loved to get together with her friends and play games, go to plays and concerts, go on trips and out to eat. Sheila also loved to drive and would even take people to and from the airport until her eyes got bad. Sheila was an only child and was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and several of her cousins. Sheila's services will be held at American Lutheran Church on April 17th, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. Her body will be donated to Banner Health Sun City brain and Whole Body Research institute. She will then be cremated and her ashes will be placed in a bench at the foot of her parents' grave at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City. Any donations can be given to American Lutheran Church of Sun City or to the Sun City Players Community Theater club.