Sheila Sullivan's Obituary
Born in 1938 in The Market section of Belfast, Ireland, Sheila Walsh was one of ten children: Nancy, Dave, Alex, Pat, Mary, Bridie, Sheila, Jerry, Jim and Brendan. She loved to share stories of her childhood in Ireland. One of her earliest memories is fleeing the city to her Granny's country house during the Belfast Blitz. Belfast was a German target during WWII due to its manufacturing and ship building for the British military. Her father served in the Royal Navy throughout WWII during her elementary years, so she only saw him when he was home on leave.
Her childhood home, originally built for a successful business owner, sat adjacent to a blacksmith’s shop. Sheila enjoyed telling people she had watched horses being shoed so many times, she could do it with her eyes closed! Sheila enjoyed describing the layout of their home: two parlors with vases of flowers in the front windows, one on each side of a long hallway that led to the dining and kitchen areas. Blue and white tiles covered the floor of this long hallway, and one of Sheila's first chores was to wash it every Saturday.
The home was heated using coal, and there was a fireplace in each room. However, they could only afford to light the main fireplace in the kitchen, so on cold damp nights, they would heat bricks in the fireplace and then place them in their beds for warmth. Their home was one of only two homes in the neighborhood with an indoor bathroom.
Like many larger families of the time, the older children would help raise the younger ones. Her older sister Nancy - 13 years her elder, became a mother figure to Sheila. Years later, when their mother went to America for an extended visit, Sheila became the mother figure to her brothers Jim and Brendan for many months.
Although Sheila passed her exam for secondary school education, known as the "Leaving Exam", in the 1950s secondary education wasn’t afforded to most. So, after graduating 8th grade, like her siblings before her, she went to work full-time. She was 14 years old. The sewing lessons Nancy had given her provided the experience she needed to land her first job, sewing children’s nightgowns and gym shirts for a company within walking distance of her home. Sheila did as all the Walsh kids were expected to do, she gave all of her weekly wages to her father. And in return, he gave her back a 1/2 crown, also known as 2 and 6 pence. Enough to go to the movies, maybe, but nothing else. Which was fine, because there really wasn’t much else to do.
The work ethic she developed in Ireland became the foundation of her American future.
Sheila turned 18 years old in July of 1956 and boarded a boat for America that October... One of 5000+ migrants leaving Ireland for America that year. She borrowed the money for the passage from her Aunt Maggie - a little over $300 and would eventually pay her back with interest. Her mother traveled with her to Cohb in County Cork to meet the ship that would carry her across the Atlantic Ocean. They stayed together in a small room the night before the passage. She said, “It was an awkward night with her mother being sad her last daughter was leaving home forever, and she trying to be brave while being nervous and bit scared.” The passage took 7 or 8 days - she could never remember which one. She shared the cabin with three other girls, with two sets of bunk beds. The trip seemed to take forever, and she thought she would never see land again. When she finally arrived in New York harbor, it was a bright sunny morning, and she couldn’t believe how beautiful it was.
Sheila's sister, Mary, met her at the docks upon her arrival. And it was with Mary and Mary's husband, Tom Gillen, that she began her life in America. Her first job was as an elevator operator for American Telephone and Telegraph Company.
She left New York briefly when she traveled to her brother Alex's wedding in Minnesota. She and her cousin Helen traveled together for a week’s trip that turned into an extended stay. She and Helen were lured in by the beautiful late summer/early autumn weather, friendly people and delicious apples. They found work in a local bakery and rented a room above. She had her sister Mary pack and send all her belongings. But only being in America for a short time, she didn’t realize how different the seasons could be. She recalls trudging through knee-high snow up to the high school where she was taking typing classes, only to find the school was closed. After a very cold and snowy winter, Sheila left Minnesota and returned to New York.
Her brother-in-law, Tom Gillen, introduced her to her future husband, Donald Sullivan. They married in 1960 and raised four children, Coleen Ann, John Patrick, Mark Walsh and Joann Mary. In 1965, when their small apartment on East 233rd Street in The Bronx became too small for their growing family, they moved west to White Meadow Lake in Rockaway, NJ. In this small lake community, she found support from women who would become her lifelong friends: Joann Horacek, Joyce Hill, Carole Donofrio, and Linda Reinbold among others.
Like many women in the 1970s and 80s, Sheila managed the home, cared for kids and worked part-time to help make ends meet. Throughout the years, she worked as a telephone operator, managed the cosmetics department of a department store, and worked on a production line for Warner Lambert. She was an avid reader and loved to learn. She continued her education, taking part-time classes, and eventually she was able to apply for a role as an Administrative Assistant to the Operations Director at Pfizer in Morris Plains, NJ. She retired from that position at the age of 62.
When her brother, Alex, went into renal failure, Sheila and her siblings tested to measure their potential to donate a kidney. Sheila, being a perfect match, was selected. In 1973, after enduring many tests, she became one of the first females to donate a kidney. She has always said she would do it all over again!
After recently discussing many of her life stories, Sheila stated, “I came pretty far from that girl who grew up in Belfast, Ireland”.
Sheila is survived by her children, Coleen Ann Sullivan and Mark Walsh (Lynne) Sullivan; her grandchildren Emily, Kelly, Conner, Brenna, Aidan, Declan, and Deirdre; her great-grandchildren, Maisy and Ramona; her brothers, Jerry Walsh, James Walsh and Brendan Walsh. She was preceded in death by her children, John Patrick Sullivan and Joann Marie Lilly.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Sheila's memory can donate online to The National Kidney Foundation at www.kidney.org or to Delaware Hospice at www.delawarehospice.org.
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