Sheila held a BA in political science from Stanford. She was born in San Francisco and grew up in Oregon. After graduating from Stanford, she lived and worked in Washington, D.C. as a lobbyist for the National Canners Association, The National Restaurant Association, The National Taxpayers Union, The Employee Assistance Professionals, Dan Quayle, and the Population Institute. She was an avid skier, skilled whitewater canoeist, and a Toastmaster. She is survived by her daughter, Cameron Bamberger.