Sheila Shay

1929 - 2013

Sheila Fitzmaurice Shay

March 10, 1929

July 10, 2013

The ever elegant and poised Sheila Fitzmaurice was born on March 10, 1929, to parents, George Fitzmaurice and Diana Wilson Fitzmaurice. She was raised in Beverly Hills where she attended Marymount High School. She then attended the University of Texas, Austin and later returned to California to be with her family.

After returning to California, Sheila met her husband, William 'Bill' Shay. They were married on April 29, 1950 and had six wonderful and healthy children.

Bill and Sheila were fourth generation Californians, Bill's family owned the Shay Ranch in Big Bear and Sheila's family resided in Los Angeles. They came to Nevada and settled in Reno with their six children when they found and bought the Flying ~M~ Ranch near Yerington with a group of close friends.

In 1965, Bill and Sheila moved their family to Reno where Sheila became active in philanthropy. She served the Saint Mary's Guild for many years and continued to volunteer at St. Mary's Hospital until 2010.

The love of fine art was also a passion for Sheila, and she spent many hours volunteering for the Nevada Museum of Art.

She enjoyed playing tennis in the women's league at Lakeridge, and you would often see her walking her beloved King Charles Spaniels on Plumas Street near the golf course. She stayed very active and worked-out often at Sports West, always in a perfect ensemble.

Sheila passed from this earth peacefully on July 10th, surrounded by her family and beloved late-in-life companion John P. She was preceded in death by her husband Bill, her father, George Fitzmaurice, her mother and step-father, Diana and Ralph Cousins, and her sister, Patricia Baxter. Sheila is survived by all her children, Ralph and Gretta Shay of Coeur d'Alene, ID; Greg Shay and Michael Chambers, of Sunset Hills, CA; Cameron Shay of New York, NY; Mark and Diana Quinlan of Reno, NV; Robert and Latifah Shay of Warfordsburg, PA; and Pittman Shay of New York, NY; nephew, Robert Baxter, and niece, Leslie Eaton, and Leslie's son, Tom Eaton, also by her grandchildren who "…are the apples of her eye:" Angela Shay, Cameron Shay, Michelle and Bill Drury, Ryan and Kellen Quinlan, Zuzu, Rabia, and Musa Shay.

A small family mass has been held at the Carmelite Monastary at Sheila's request. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in her name to her beloved Carmelite Sisters at: Carmel of Reno, 1950 Lafond Drive, Reno, NV 89509.