Sheila Wright

1941 - 2015

Sheila Phelan Wright joined her ancestors on November 18th, 2015. She was 74. Born April 27, 1941 in Hartford, Connecticut to Helen E. Phelan and John F. Phelan, Sheila raised her two sons Rob and Chris in beautiful Glastonbury, CT with their father Curtis Wright. Sheila was educated in West Hartford public schools, and earned her Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut. She taught at Watkinson School and at the University of Hartford, where she was involved in creating the interdisciplinary All-University Curriculum. She taught English literature and English as a second language, and she provided guidance and support to academically struggling students. She moved to Denver, Colorado, and served as Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies at University of Denver (DU) from 1993 until her retirement in 2008 as Vice-Provost emerita. At the time of her 1993 appointment at DU, Dr. Wright was the highest placed female in the university administration, a proud moment for her and for the university. Sheila made many enduring contributions to DU. Former DU Provost William Zaranka writes, "Sheila's personality was electric and she put it to work in startlingly original ways. She had an inspiring vision of the marriage of Student Life and the University's Academic Mission. She spoke her mind and acted on her convictions, which were always humane and inclusive. Sheila accomplished much, and what she accomplished was most distinguished." Beyond her professional career of serving young people, Sheila had an exuberant love of life, saying of herself: "I never met an adventure I didn't like or an idea I didn't want to examine." Travel was one way she sought adventure and explored ideas, biking the Tetons, joining women friends traveling to 20 NCAA Women's Final Four Basketball tournaments, walking through Slovenia, working with artists in Dharamsala, India, and making three spiritual pilgrimages walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Her love for people manifested most strongly in her love of family. After the death of her father, mother, and brother Shaun Phelan whom she loved dearly, she, by sheer force of will, brought her family together to heal. With her beloved husband Roscoe, she rebuilt the family into a solid, loving, and whole extended family. She especially wanted to make sure, as she once wrote, "something better was coming if not now for the next generation" for her two grandchildren, Emma and Colin. The gatherings of family and friends at Watch Hill, RI every summer, and in West Hartford and Florida at Christmas, were the living symbols of a family in loving community. "This," said brother Garrett, "is perhaps her greatest and most enduring legacy." Despite the distance from Connecticut, Sheila was closer than ever to her family back home and played a huge part in the lives of her grandchildren, Emma and Colin Wright, who live in West Hartford, visiting often for milestones, events and celebrations. Her family will forever be inspired by her grace and dignity. When Sheila contracted ovarian cancer, she worked hard to fight the effects on her own health and life, but more importantly, as she learned more about the illness, she dedicated herself to making sure those that followed would have a better chance of survival. She participated in Nikki's Circle, and reviewed ovarian cancer research proposals for the Department of Defense. She was on the board of HERA Women's Cancer Foundation, and was awarded the 2015 HERA Power of One Award in October. She gave so much for others while fighting her own battle. Sheila is survived by her husband, Roscoe Hill, son Robert Wright and wife Elena Castanet, son Christian Wright, Tara Cantor, and grandchildren Emma and Colin Wright; Sheila's brothers, Garrett Phelan and his wife Jane Schloss Phelan; Terrance Phelan and his wife Alyssa Ben-Kiki Phelan, and their two children Sierra Phelan, and Jeremiah Bassett-Phelan and his wife, Rachel Silverfarb Bassett and their son, Jack Basset; Roscoe's children Jennifer Hill and Stephen Hill and his wife Ana and their six children Laura Fox and her husband Christopher Fox, Christopher and his wife Jennifer, Alexander, Corina and her husband Randy, Sarah and Benjamin, and two grand-children Sophia and Rory. The memorial event will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2 in the Hamilton Recital Hall in the Newman Center for Performing Arts at the University of Denver in Denver, CO. The family asks that memorial donations go to the Denver Hospice, a Connecticut hospice, or the Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver.