Sheila Gafka, beloved wife, mother, aunt, and grandmother passed away on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at the age of 81 following a long battle with neurodegenerative disease. She passed away peacefully at home with her family, husband Gerry of more than 60 years, two sons Michael and George, and daughter-in-law Tammy. Sheila also leaves behind sister-in-law Marilyn, niece Merrie, nephew Alan, nephew Lee, dear cousins Rachel and Alan and their daughter Pamela, and four exceptional grandchildren, Scott, Marcus, Sadie, and Celia who were the driving force behind Gerry and Sheila’s move to Houston in 2004.
Sheila was a remarkable woman who took on many roles during her very accomplished life. She graduated early from high school and college and earned her Master's in Education and Sociology from Brooklyn College at the age of 21. She married and supported Gerry during his further college education, while teaching in New York City's toughest school district. Later, she became a devoted stay-at-home mom to her two sons during their early childhood before reinventing herself as a real estate agent in Raleigh, winning sales awards year after year. At the height of her success, she stepped away from her real estate business and relocated to Houston to be a doting grandma.
With boundless energy, love, compassion, and confidence, she was a bright light of hope, care, empathy, and encouragement to all that knew her. As an only child born to poor Jewish immigrants in The Bronx, who became a highly accomplished woman in both human and business endeavors, Sheila leaves an inspiring legacy based on the highest levels of integrity, kindness, compassion, and a passion for acceptance and inclusion. She did it right. She did it on her own terms… and always with a gregarious spirit, infectious sense of humor, and boisterous laugh.
In the end, she succumbed to the same disease that took her mother and grandmother's life. Confronted with this tragic situation and a relentless disease, she decided how she would live out the remainder of her life, with remarkable inner strength and determination. Her days were spent in the comfort of home with family, while bravely accepting the natural course of life. Seeing her kids and grandkids graduate, get married, have their own families, and pursue their own dreams was always Sheila’s most cherished wish. She cared deeply for people and for the world and left it far better than she found it. We feel a tremendous loss and will endeavor to carry forward Sheila’s spirit, energy, humor, and love.
In lieu of flowers, we kindly ask that any donations be made in memory of Sheila Gafka to the "Alzheimer's Association" at alz.org (click on the "donate" box in the upper right).
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