Sheila Hamilton

Sheila Hamilton passed away earlier this week. I'd known her since shortly after I started working at the university, she was on staff at the dean's office and I always enjoyed bantering with her when I was in there. We always threw sarcastic comments back and forth, she had a mischievous streak and we had an understanding that came with a smile and a wink of the eye. I recall speaking to someone who thought that she was intimidating which confused me; she always felt like family. She had a complex sense of humor that ran deep through every conversation you might have had with her. She took her work very seriously, except when she didn't: that was the sort of inconsistency that made her a real character. The last time we spoke was at Sheila Petty's end-of-deanship event just over a year ago and even though she was already on medical leave, she looked and sounded in great spirits. She was really sweet and I miss her. Rest peacefully Sheila.

Jeannette Teece, Sheila Petty, and Sheila Hamilton, June 2014