Sheila Renee Byrd

Obituary For Sheila Renee Byrd

Sheila R. Byrd

Born April 27th, 1967

In Portsmouth, Virginia

To Albert and Beatrice Byrd

Sheila was the eldest of three children. She attended Scanlan elementary school from fourth through seventh grade. She excelled! She skipped the eighth grade and went straight to high school. She attended Carver Area High School for two years and decided to spread her wings and try high school in Virginia. There, she attended Maury High School for a year. She returned to Chicago to complete her Senior year at Corliss High School. After high school she gained an interest in Cosmetology and enrolled in Truman College.

She worked as a stylist for several years and began to develop a curiosity in learning sign language. She joined Salem Baptist Church in 1994 under Pastor James T. Meeks leadership and under Emerita Ruth Wilcox’s teaching, Sheila learned, signed, and taught sign language. Once again, she excelled!

Sheila’s ambitious spirit led her to take a job at Olive Harvey College as a Sign Language Interpreter. She was greatly loved and respected by many of her co-workers and the students.

Sheila was an avid reader, she liked to sew, crochet and knit. She could freehand draw, and she enjoyed all types of music. When she was a preteen, she was her very own little playwright. Around holidays she loved to make desserts and her specialty was RUM CAKE!

Her talents came naturally to her. She was definitely a rare jewel and the epitome of Class.

Sheila leaves to mourn and cherish her memory her Dad Albert Byrd Sr., Mother, Beatrice Byrd, one sister, Michelle A. Byrd, a brother, Albert Byrd Jr., a former sister-in-law, Bernice Byrd, three Nieces, Briunna, Brittany and Bria Byrd, and one great nephew, Hendrix Clayton. Sheila also leaves behind one Aunt, Jane Williams and a huge army of cousins