Sheila was born in Bognor Regis at 12:15 am on 22nd November 1924. Had her mother Gladys succeeded in persuading the doctor to record her birth as happening 16 minutes earlier, Sheila would have shared the same birthday as her mother, and the events in Dallas Texas on 22nd November 1963 would not have coloured her birthday for evermore!
As the only daughter of Jim & Gladys Hammond, Sheila’s pre-war life was marred only by the untimely death of her infant brother Roland. She adored her grandad Albert Putman—who worked for the railways—often recalling the times when he would give local children rides on his large flatbed porter’s trolley.
She left school at 14 and worked for various local firms, including the delivery company Carter Paterson’s. Although she wasn’t trained to use the phone,  she was very proud to have once answered a call from Sir Malcolm Campbell - the one time world land and water speed record holder!  
Her main passion was dancing, particularly tap dancing. She loved to perform in shows, reviews, and pantomimes—belting out songs as the principle boy or tap dancing in the chorus. Her cousin Michael remembers dressing up in her (iconic) ‘Cowboy Joe’ outfit. Sheila was not pleased!  It was at a performance, mid-way through the war, that she met Jack, a soldier in the Royal Ulster Rifles. They were married in May 1943 and within 10 years six children - Trevor, David, Janine, Denise Alan and Elaine were born!
Jack remained a professional soldier after the war and the family went with him on postings to Northern Ireland and Kenya. He left the army in 1959 when the family returned to the UK. They lived with Sheila’s parents – 4 adults and 6 children in a three bedroom end terrace without a bathroom for about a year. Then in April 1960 they moved to what became the main family home – 24 Browning Road Worthing. Don’t they say – new house new baby? Along came Carolyn in October 1961, the seventh and last child!
Raising a large family was a struggle at times, but Sheila was a wonderful mother, providing love and support, never losing her temper even though everyone gave her many reasons to! However Alan does recall a time when he was about 10, when she sent him to buy some cheese and he came back with expensive prime steak! As a mother on a tight budget Sheila was none too pleased! Her daughter-in-Law, Anne remembers how particularly calm and caring she was when she rushed over to her house after Anne & Trevor’s son Ralph had hurt himself on a room heater. A few kind words and a bag of sweets was all the treatment he needed.
There were many happy times in a busy family home such as Christmas dinners for 20 and Saturday night sing songs and plenty of lunchtime sherry.  Tributes have poured in about Sheila from the children’s school friends, remembering how lovely she was and how they enjoyed visiting Browning Road because of her welcoming, motherly presence. One such visitor, trying to make a good first impression was her future son-in-law David Barrett. He blew the icing sugar off a slice of Victoria sponge snorting with laughter when Sheila said she was just going to fetch her glasses so she could hear him better!
The children gradually left home and the next phase of Sheila’s life began. Not a quiet retirement, but a palliative care role firstly for her father, then a family friend Tom, and then Jack, who died in June 1990. They were married for 47 years. Sheila remained in Browning Road, living with her mother Gladys until her death at the age of 99 in February 1996.
The house, through Sheila’s warmth, had provided a home, a place to visit, a place to holiday, a place to return to and a place to feel safe in for 36 years.
Sheila became truly independent for the first time in her life when she moved into her flat in Cambourne Court, Worthing. Her granddaughter Tracy remembers them taking at least 10 attempts to get the answering machine message right, then when they finally succeeded it was at half speed! They laughed so much.
During these years Sheila enjoyed travelling to stay with her children and ever growing number of grandchildren, great grandchildren and even great-great grandchildren, visiting Spain, Australia and the four corners of England. She was referred to affectionately as ‘the package’ whenever she was travelling directly from one of her children to another.
Janine remembers visiting Alan in Ibiza with Sheila. They had the funniest time and never stopped laughing even though on their first night,  they were flooded out of their hotel room. Denise recalls an hilarious incident at airport security in Australia when Sheila had to go through a scanner. She came out replicating the stance required  with a ‘ta dah!’  and a bow much to the amusement of the airport staff. Nothing fazed her!
Sadly Sheila was diagnosed with dementia about 10 years ago and eventually even with the care and support she was getting from David, Janine and Tracy, she could no longer live on her own. She reluctantly agreed to move to Carolyn’s in Shropshire during February 2019.
She lived with Carolyn until Christmas 2019—so  well looked after—and celebrated her 95th birthday whilst there. This was the last time many of the family got to see her in person.  Just a few weeks later, she had a fall and broke some ribs. How did she fall? Why, tap dancing in the kitchen of course!
Sheila became a permanent resident of Cheswardine Hall Care Home after her discharge from hospital in the new year of 2020.  We all know what happened shortly after and from late February 2020 the home was in full lockdown because of Covid 19. Over the next 15 months she could have no face-to-face contact but kept in touch with the family through ‘window visits’, phone calls and Skype sessions. She was very entertaining during these. On one of her final calls she recounted a time during the war when she served some soldiers refreshments. She reassured the family that none of them was the offspring of an encounter with any of those young men!
During this difficult time her spirits were kept up by the tireless enthusiasm of the hall’s activity co-ordinator Claire Fishlock and the care she received from nurse Shiela and all the nursing and care staff. Claire has written a lovely tribute to Sheila, which is available to read in full. This is an extract ‘the fun we had, the mischief.. picking flowers.. we knew it wasn’t allowed…dancing to Uptown Funk…you were blessed to have such a wonderful warm and loving mother.’
Face to face visits resumed over summer 2021 and Sheila was able to enjoy a few visits out with Elaine and her husband. She was due to go out for a birthday meal with them and Carolyn and her husband when the first breakout of Covid occurred at the hall, meaning it was in lockdown again.  Elaine saw Sheila in the purpose built visitors cabin in mid-December, but she deteriorated rapidly after that. Carolyn and Elaine were able to make end of life visits just after Christmas. Sheila died peacefully on 29th December. Carolyn was able to give her the family’s goodbyes on the phone.
Sheila was 97, she lived a good life. Everyone she met loved her. No one has a bad word to say against her. Family far and near have been sending messages of gratitude and love for her. She was a wonderful much-loved mother of 7, grandmother of 17, great grandmother of 31, *and* great-great grandmother of 8—including great granddaughter Aimee’s unborn child.
The final farewell comes from Sheila herself. For context, she was a fan of Agatha Christie and  was often referred to affectionally as the hippo, because Reggie Perrin from the TV show visualised his mother in law in Worthing as a hippo. Her granddaughter Angie found this  Facebook post from Sheila in 2009. It reads:
‘ Miss Marple of the hippo world is now off to bed,
with loads of love and snores to one and all….’