Funeral Details

Sheila's light will always be with us. Her sweet and loving personality and her infectious smile and laughter will never diminish. May G-d bless her soul and grant her eternal peace. We love you guys.

Susan and Archie Shiba

Rest in Peace

Gennaro Fedele

Sheila always brought a burst of joy to all she did. We were there for her 60th in Chicago and it felt like yesterday! A tragedy such a thing can happen to someone so young, and especially to such a wonderful and good person.

Jonny Maimon

Sheila was the cousin of my dear friend Macy who passed away many years ago. Sheila was such a lovely person who always had a smile on her face. My heart goes out to her family.

Sandra Shovers

Dear Ronnie, Josh, Trish, Philip, Sam, Lana & Brody: We will be in disbelief for a long time -- hard to imagine a world without our dear Sheila. She epitomized the word, "love" for all of us, so generous of heart, so loving. We knew we chose wisely, even over your protestations Ronnie & Sheila, in selecting you to be our children's godparents. Ronnie & Sheila, the genuine article. You were a terrific team and a fine selection for our children: always caring, always checking on us. You were a part of each of our simchas, Daniel's & Michael's bar mitzvahs, Jaclyn's & Rachel's bat mitzvahs, the wedding for Jaclyn&Ari, the event honoring Mom as Aishes Chayil 19 years ago, and it wouldn't have been the same without you! Sheila, without the fanfare, was our Aishes Chayil also! She will always be in our hearts & in the hearts of our children. What a beautiful legacy Sheila leaves. And what an impossible void she leaves for us to fill. We mourn our beautiful Sheila with you. We love each of you.
Much love, ShiraFrankJaclynAriSaraAviDanielRachelMichael&Aunty Lorraine

Shira Johnson

Our hearts were broken to hear of this tremendous loss today. May loving and cherished memories of Sheila sustain the family at this most difficult time. In our hearts and minds, we recall her smile, her hugs, her caring, and her generosity. Baruch dayan emet.

Rina Maimon

Sheila was a close coworker of my mother's, so I did not get to know her as directly as I may have wished -- but that did not stop Sheila from lighting up when she saw me and my sisters, making us feel like we were the most important, most loved people in the room. I will never forget the love, warmth, and power packed into her hugs.

Sending much love and warm thoughts to you.

Rosemary Frehe

So loving and kindâ?¦
Sheila lives in those she touched.
She brought out our best!


Death is part of life.
Life is a blessing that ends.
Ends are beginningsâ?¦

This second haiku came to me, inspired by â??The Book of Joyâ? by The Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams, and I had Sheila in mind when I summarized this take-away from the book.
Now you might wonder why Iâ??m bringing up a book by a Christian and a Buddhist in tribute to a Jewish woman at her funeral, and that could almost be a set-up for a joke, but alas, Iâ??ll try and get to the point.
The notion that there can be no joy without suffering was explained quite well in the book, Archbishop Tutu using the example that a mother giving birth to a child is quite a â??laborâ? â?? physically painful, yet when the new baby arrives, the joy of holding the newborn very quickly replaces the pain that brought the new life into the world.
Similarly, we experience sadness and grief only when we have been blessed with the opportunity to have loved someone. The void and grief created by Sheilaâ??s passing is a tribute to the love, caring and kindness she brought to the world. I, and many others were blessed to have known and shared part of life with Sheila. While Sheilaâ??s passing is the end of the blessing of her life that she shared with us, Ronnie, Josh, Trish, Philip, Samantha, Lana & Brody especially, along with the rest of us, are beginning a new journey better equipped to carry on because of the joy and lessons shared by Sheila.
While on the one hand a huge void is now created, on the other hand we are all better for having known and loved Sheila, and I will always get a smile when remembering Sheilaâ??s smile, her wonderful hugs and the family and friends that live on.
Peace and love to Ronnie, Josh, Trish, Philip, Samantha, Lana & Brody in this sorrowful time.

Mitch, Pauline, Jacob, Elsa, Emmalee, Sara & Bryan


Mitch Adelman

Sheila forged a loving friendship with my mom that has spanned decades. During a particularly challenging time for my family, Sheila gave my mother a framed rendering of Eishet Chayil - the woman of valor - saying that she always viewed my mom as the woman described in the poem. It was a beautiful gesture, and one never forgotten. Sheila, too, will always be remembered in our eyes equally as a woman of valor.

Sending much love to Sheila's family.

Caty Frehe

I found out yesterday that my kindergarten teacher, Ms. Medow, passed away this week. When I was told, I felt right back into the impression I had of her as a small child. She smelled so so good. She had the best hair ever. She had a double umbrella that covered her and me so she could hold me close and keep me safe from the rain as she'd walk me to my mom's car during pick-up. I absolutely loved her. I felt absolutely loved by her. I'm 38 years old now, so Ms. Medow was my teacher more than 30 years ago and I still can feel her whole heart with my whole heart. RIP Ms. Medow. Thank you for being the best kindergarten teacher ever.

Annie Gekas

Sheila was a beautiful person. As a colleague at Crow Island School and as a friend, she was a warm and caring human being. It was a gift to know her. She will be missed.

Maureen Buchholz

Sheila was loving, kind, generous, warm, thoughtful, and her smile could light up any room. Sheila was a blessing, and no matter how close or far away she was, Shelia always made time for family. I pray the infinite hole left by her departure may be filled, if only in part, by the imprint of these same traits that now flow within family, friends, and students who had the pleasure of knowing, learning from, and being with her.

Benjamin Maimon

Sheila and I have known each other since grammar school days. She was always beautiful, sweet, kind and generous. She was devoted to her family, friends and students and lut up their lives with kindness and caring. She is a true Woman of Valor among our people and will always be remembered in that way. A life wothecso much more than rubies and Pearl's. A tragic loss for all who knew her.

Karen Litwack

My condolences to the family and friends of Sheila Meadow. She was my kindergarten teacher and later my colleague. She will always be â??Mrs. Meadowâ? to me, the teacher that had the biggest heart in the world and who lit the room with the most incredible energy. She gave the best hugs and had an infectious smile. I have so many fond memories the year I was her student. She was the model teacher for whole-child teaching. Every day was an exciting day of exploration and she created such a strong community in her classroom. I can honestly say she is one of the main reasons I later went into teaching and had the pleasure of being her colleague. You will be so missed Mrs. Meadow. Thank you for loving me and all of the students you taught at Crow Island. Sending all of my love to Sheila and to her family and friends.

Katie Toth Blandford

Dearest family,

Sheila is such a bright bright light, even after her passing. Her radiant beauty inside and out, her warmth, and her kindness were unparalleled and impacted my life in such positive ways, and I know she had that effect on so many people, from her family to her hundreds of students. I am sorry for the loss of her living spirit, but what a true honor and a joy to have known her for this period of time. I know the impact of her kindness and love will be carried with this family forever.

Orlee Maimon

I knew Sheila in her professional life as a gifted and cherished kindergarten teacher. Her love of young children and her willingness to share ideas and collaborate with her colleagues was infectious and inspiring.. She served so many little ones and their families over the years, itâ??s hard to comprehend the lives she touched and made a difference for. May she rest in Gods love and shine in the heavens as she did here on earth.

Mary Schoeller

Dear Meadow family,

Our friendship started 43 years ago in April of 1977. We had just arrived from Kiev, Ukraine. Sheila, Ronnie, & Josh came to pick us up and take us to Ronnieâ??s parentsâ?? house in the country. Sheila was wearing a pink cotton suit and was heavily pregnant with Lana, who was born a month and later in June.
The more I learned about Sheila, the more dear she became to me. She recognized that I enjoyed being with children and several years later I became her assistant at Beth Emet Synagogue Nursery School and later for 20 years at Crow Island School. We were very close; she was my sister, friend, and teacher.
When I think of Sheila, many words come to my mind: Loving daughter, devoted wife, loving mother, and beloved bubby for her grandchildren. Sheila was loving, giving, kind, generous, and a great spirit. She had a big heart and was honest and sincere. We laughed together and we cried together. Her beaming smile and contagious laugh will always be in my mind. At school, working side by side, I recognized her devotion and unconditional love for her students. She was very creative. I will never forget the days we stayed after school transforming the Letâ??s Pretend Room into an ice skating rink, animal hospital, etc. Sheila loved nature. We often went for long walks in the botanic Garden (her favorite place), talking about school, children, and life in general.
Sheila always enjoyed life. She taught us all how to live and how to love. I feel privileged to have known her for 43 years.


Alla Borodyansky

My middle-age kids had Sheila for preschool at Beth Emet. We liked her so much that all the kids in our 6-flat went to her too. And nobody was even Jewish. She was a total sweetheart. We were all crazy about her. Sadly we lost touch, but all thought about her from time to time. Our hearts go out to her family. We're very sorry.

Liz Ettinger