Sheila Stephens

Sheila Stephens, 56, of Santa Maria, Calif., passed away on May 28, 2018, in Santa Maria, Calif.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 27, at the United Methodist Church, 400 North Ave. in Paradise, Mont., with the Reverend Jason Cox officiating. There will be an informal gathering following with light refreshments in the Club House next door. Burial will take place in a private ceremony prior to the memorial service.

Sheila was born in Missoula, Mont., to Marlin and Sarah (Sally) Stephens on Jan. 30, 1962. She lived in Paradise and attended Paradise Grade School until December 1969, when the family moved to Missoula due to the death of her father, and there she finished elementary school. She attended high school in Corvallis, Ore., Missoula and Plattsburgh, N.Y., where she graduated in 1980. In 1983, Sheila moved to Seattle, Wash., and worked as a waitress at several high-end restaurants, including Anthony’s Home Port in Des Moines, Wash., for 19 years. She then moved to Santa Maria in 2003, and received her AA degree from Alan Hancock Community College. She remained in Santa Maria until her death.

Sheila is preceded in death by her father, Marlin Stephens; her uncle, Robert Stephens; and her grandparents, Helen and Wendell Stephens, and Howard and Maxine Pickering. It was her desire to be buried with her father.

She is survived by her mother, Sarah Stephens of Santa Maria; sisters, Shanna (Ben) Miller of Seattle and Karval Lynn (Tim) Stewart of Santa Maria; and brother, Brent (Sherri) Stephens of Edmond, Okla. Sheila is also survived by nephews Tyler (Alli) Miller of Portland, Ore., Drew (Carlene) Miller of Santa Maria, Marlin Stephens of Oklahoma City, Okla., and Timothy (Shelly) Kelly of Melbourne, Fla. Surviving nieces are Chelsey (Sam) Spence of Lakeside, Mont., and Brianna Stephens of Oklahoma City. Sheila is survived by eight great-nieces and nephews. She adored and doted on her nieces and nephews.

Sheila is also survived by her aunts, Colleen (Robert) Newman of Missoula, Lois (Kirby) Reimers of Missoula, and Mary Pickering of Great Falls, Mont. Her surviving uncles are Cliff (Judy) Stephens of Paradise, Mont., Walt (Karval) Pickering of Paradise, and Paul (Karen) Pickering of Plains, Mont., as well as numerous cousins.