Sheila was born in Adair, IA, to John and Iloe (Lowry) Pettinger on March 19, 1942. A farm girl and natural artist, she moved to Des Moines and worked as an executive secretary at Firestone, where she met Charles Gannon. They married in August 1967 and had a son, Sean, the following year. She quit Firestone to become a full-time mother and loved making the Gannon farm in Bondurant her family’s home.
Chuck died in 1993 at age 52, one year before the farm became an Iowa Century Farm. Sheila moved to Ankeny in 2002. She was active in the Bondurant Civic Club (formerly the Jaycee Wives) for its entire existence and was a charter member of the Central Iowa chapter of Questers, an antiquing club.
Sheila is survived by her son, Sean; her brother, John and sister-in-law, Patricia (Kneupfer) Pettinger; her sister, Rebecca and brother-in-law, Ron (Dreher); five nieces and nephews and their eleven children; and Kate Reed (the daughter she never had) and Larry Haines (her partner-in-crime the past many years), who were both stalwart, tireless members of Team Sheila, helping her and being by her side these challenging weeks.
Visitation will be held at Ankeny Funeral Home, 1510 West First Street, Ankeny, IA 50023, on Thursday, September 10, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Funeral will be held at Ankeny Funeral Home on Friday, September 11, 2026, from 10:00 am to 10:45 am.
Burial will take place at Bondurant Cemetery, 850 2nd St SE, Bondurant, IA 50035, on September 11, 2026, from 11:15 am to 11:30 am.
Memorials may be directed to the family and will be given to one of the many charities that Sheila supported over the years.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be left at www.ankenyfuneralhome.com for the Gannon family.
