Sheila Ward Rome

Sheila Ward Rome, 89, passed away on November 6 in La Jolla, CA after living most of her life in Connecticut. She was a devoted wife, mother, sister, friend, and volunteer.

Born in Hartford, she was the oldest daughter of Charles and Elizabeth (Mirman) Ward. She won a scholarship to attend the Chaffee School in Windsor, where her class had just 16 students. After attending Smith College, she taught elementary school in West Hartford until she married Donald Lee Rome in 1958. He always said that he married her because he loved her laugh.

She had three children, and she was proud that all three grew up to be successful and public-spirited. She made sure the family regularly visited the West Hartford Public Library. But beyond encouraging everyone to be curious, she let her kids find their own way. Following their lead, she became a hockey mom, a tennis mom, and a skateboard mom. She was ahead of her time in fighting battles with teachers and school officials to ensure that they provided more than a one-size-fits-all education.

She always worked hard to bring together her extended family. When her children still lived at home, vacations and activities often included relatives. Once everyone had grown up, she was the go-to source for family history.

Her community work was wide-ranging. She helped to run the annual Smith College Book Sale in West Hartford. She was a stalwart with Meals on Wheels. She supported the Charter Oak Temple Restoration Association, which turned a derelict house of worship into a vibrant cultural center. She volunteered in local political campaigns. When two of her children were students at the Loomis-Chaffee School, she served on the board of trustees. The people she worked with all appreciated her dedication and charm.

Though she often supported the interests of others, she was glad when she could share her own passions. She had a lifelong love of reading. She lit up whenever she had a chance to go to an art museum or a craft show. At Chaffee, long before women’s sports were common, she played basketball, and she later was a huge fan of Geno Auriemma and the UConn women’s basketball team. In mid-life, she and Donald became devotees of opera, attending over 300 performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

She was happily married for 61 years, until Donald’s death in 2019 after years with Parkinson’s. She is survived by her three children and their spouses, Adam Rome and Robin Schulze, Lilly (Rome) Feldman and Steve Feldman, and Ethan Rome and Jennifer Ng’andu; a sister, Judy Berzonsky; two grandchildren, Seth Feldman and Aaron Feldman; and two nephews, Michael Berzonsky and David Berzonsky.

The service will be November 16 at 11:30 in the morning at the Beth Israel Cemetery on 175 Ward St. in Hartford. Friends and well-wishers are welcome. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. There will be no calling hours.