Sheila Anne Lyons

1931 - 2023

Sheila Anne (née O'Donnell) Lyons. Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Friend, Historian, Traveler, Community Activist. Died peacefully at Westerly Hospital, with family at her side, on June 29, 2023. She was 92. Born in Boston on May 22, 1931, Sheila was the daughter of Alfred Emmett O'Donnell and Mabel Hurley. She grew up in West Roxbury and attended Boston's Girls Latin School. She graduated from Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. with a BA in Government. Later in life she earned an MA in History from Salem State University.
In 1952, Sheila married her high school sweetheart Robert (Bob) Lyons. They had four children in under four years, and moved frequently in support of his business career, living in Norfolk, VA; Elmira, NY; Ardmore, PA; Chappaqua, NY; Atlanta, GA; Seattle, WA; Rochester, NY; Chappaqua, NY (again); Wellesley, MA; Wenham, MA; Fairfield, CT; and Stonington CT. Along the way they had two more children, with a span of 19 years between the oldest and youngest of the six.
In 1979 Sheila and Bob moved to a house on School Street in Stonington, but a mere two years later Bob died of cancer. Sheila was left to raise her two youngest sons as a single mom, and supported herself as a tax consultant and estate planner.
She had a keen interest in local politics, served on the board of the Stonington Free Library, the Town of Stonington Conservation Commission, the Borough Planning & Zoning Commission, the Stonington Historical Society among others. Sheila's innate curiosity led her in many directions. She became a member of the Raging Grannies, a group that protested for social justice and environmental protection. Sheila was deeply committed to two inter-related activities – building community institutions and sustaining lifelong friendships.
After her youngest child left home, Sheila travelled widely in Mexico, as well as in Cuba, Europe, Asia & Africa. She would often spend her winters in Mexico, initially in San Miguel de Allende, and later in Oaxaca. She was a collector of folk art and enjoyed writing about her travels in a well-observed, anecdotal style. She spoke Spanish with a thick Boston accent and was a fixture in Oaxaca's expatriate community.
She had been raised Roman Catholic. However, later in life she explored other forms of spirituality, including Episcopalianism, Quakerism, and Buddhism (Thich Nhat Hanh, and Zen Buddhism).
Sheila is survived by five of her six children: Robert of Berkeley, CA, (Stephen of Arlington, MA d. 2020), Elizabeth of Arlington, VA; Margaret of Stonington, CT; Andrew of Washington, DC; and Charles of Port Angeles, WA – plus ten grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Sheila's ashes will be interred alongside her husband's grave at St. Mary's Cemetery in Stonington , and a Memorial Celebration of her Life will be held at a date to be determined. Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Stonington Free Library in her name. Arrangements are private and under the care of the Mystic Funeral Home. For more information, please visit their website: www. mysticfuneralhome.com