Sheila Anne Graves

Sheila Anne Graves, 53, of Bakersfield, California entered eternal rest on August 31, 2026. She was born on February 8, 1973 in Los Angeles, California. Her family returned to Bakersfield when she was five years old.

Sheila attended Quailwood Elementary School, Fruitvale Junior High, and Bakersfield High School. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree and teaching credential from CSUB. In high school she enjoyed being on the debate team guided by her beloved coach Larry Adams. She was always a natural at arguing her case.

She taught second and third grade at Palla and Valle Verde Elementary Schools in the Greenfield School district from 2002-2016 when she retired.

After she retired she volunteered with Drug Free Kern County, passing out free narcan and providing resources for those who needed it.

As a child she was always defending others and standing up for those who were picked on or left out. This continued into her career as a teacher where she chose to work with underserved children. She wanted them to have experiences they would remember. She would buy fried chicken to illustrate a math lesson and feed hungry stomachs, do pancake breakfasts and pajama days before Christmas and always made sure her students got at least one gift during the holidays by providing crayons, puzzles, and activity books for each of her students out of her own pocket. As an adult she continued to root for the underdog and support those who needed it most, always willing to give what little she had to those who had even less. No one was allowed to leave hungry or cold, she always provided what she could.

Sheila always had a love of dance and music. She attended Dufresne Dance Arts for 8 years where she developed a passion for ballet. She could often be found showing her little brother new choreography. Her family remembers her cooking dinner while doing pirouettes and spins in the kitchen or singing (yelling) along to her favorite bands.

She was close to her family. She spent many hours with her grandparents at their home being treated like a queen with meals served on special trays, going to Pyrenees bakery for bread with and picking oranges with her grandfather, and playing on the floor with her grandmother.

She enjoyed a close relationship with her Uncle Johnny, they always poked fun at each other and she lived with him for a short time.

She doted on her younger brother Anthony and spent her free time playing with him. He trusted her so completely and would leap off her bed backwards for her to catch him. She had great memories with her step siblings Dante and Jessica of sitting on the curb outside of AMPM and eating hamburgers and drinking slushies and riding in the bed of the pick up truck covered in blankets because there wasn’t room inside.

She was a wonderful mom to her daughter Araya and her bonus daughter Casey. All of her decisions were made with their best interests at heart. She was determined to raise strong, independent, and smart young women.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, John and Helen Mastro, father, William Mitchell, and step-sister Jessica Borradori. She is survived by her former husband Kenny Graves, her daughter Araya Gutierrez (Eduardo), her bonus daughter Casey Welschmeyer, her parents Sharon and Dante Borradori, her brother Anthony (Melanie), her step brother Dante Borradori (Suzy), her great uncle Johnny Mastro and her nieces and nephews, Cadence Welschmeyer, Stylus Welschmeyer, Natalia Borradori, Clay Kantor, Jake Hurst, Dante J. Borradori, and Brock Borradori.

Sheila will be remembered as a loving daughter, protective and supportive sister, and loving and devoted mother.