Sheila Patel

Sheila Patel passed away peacefully in Bellevue, Wisconsin on May 13 surrounded by loved ones. Born in Manchester, England, to the late Doris and Leslie Lang, Sheila’s life was defined early by the resilience required to weather the Manchester Blitz and a subsequent move to the rural farm country of Anglesey, Wales at the age of 12.

Sheila moved through the world with a rare and quiet independence. She was a pioneer in her community, becoming the first woman in her town to pursue the sciences at a university level where she studied and completed her degree in medicine. She met her husband, Anoo Prabhudas Patel, during her residency in Birkenhead. Their partnership was the defining anchor of her life. Together, they navigated a transatlantic move and the complexities of building a life and careers across continents, eventually settling in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Although she began her career as a physician Sheila’s focus shifted to administrating her husband’s orthopedic practice, managing its operations with the same efficiency and care she applied to all her endeavors.

Her life was a series of deep, focused devotions, embodying compassion for all living things. She found solace and expression in the natural world, transforming every property she and Anoo owned into a beautiful sanctuary full of native flora. Her De Pere garden is a certified wildlife habitat. She fostered and homed unloved and lost animals, including many naughty cats.

Her incredible self discipline and attention to detail enriched the lives around her. She was an accomplished tennis player in her youth, as well as an active leader in her church group. She attended to her home and family with an innate ability to fix everything from mower engines to skinned knees. As an exacting seamstress she created clothing for all of her children and grandchildren, and her love for the rhythmic presence of the sewing machine lives on in her daughter Dawn.

While Sheila was a private woman who valued her autonomy, she was also a person of significant quiet action when the needs of her family were greatest. Her eldest grandchild Candance was formed and fortified by hours of her loving attention in her early childhood. She provided a steady presence for her grandsons, Louis and Toby, for much of their childhood, and spent many years assisting in the care of her grandson Remi, often relying on her medical expertise as his devoted advocate.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Anoo, and her grandson, Remi. She is survived by her sister, Jean Parry-Jones. Sheila is also survived by her immediate family, including her children, Neil (Maria), Dawn (Dale), and Mark (Angel); her grandchildren, Candance (Justice), Pia, Emlyn, Louis, and Toby; and her great-grandchildren, Jet, Jax, and Jia.

Her family would like to extend sincere and immeasurable gratitude to the dedicated caregivers who generously shared their loving attention with Sheila during the last 18 months of her life. The staff at Caretta Bellevue and Unity Hospice especially made her final months comfortable, meaningful and full of laughter and affection. They are often unrecognized heroes in our world.

In recognition of Sheila’s lifelong commitment to her gardens and the animals she loved, The Patel Family suggests donations be made to a local pollinator, conservation or animal rescue group.