The Selwyn House School community extends condolences to Sheila’s family and friends.
She titled her autobiography “Opening Doors” which encapsulated her life-long determination to create opportunities for herself and the many people — particularly women — she mentored and counselled throughout her life.
Sheila was born in Brooklyn to idealistic parents who had immigrated to the United States as children. Her mother Esther Reich was a feminist before the term was popularized and her father Jacob Barshay was a highly regarded attorney.
Sheila’s childhood was profoundly marked by her father’s death from a heart attack when she was only ten years old. Her mother subsequently married Nathan Rothstein who was Sheila’s much-loved second father.
Her parents prized education and launched her on an educational journey which included a liberal arts degree from Mount Holyoke College. She returned to her studies when her children were young, earning a Master’s in Social Work from McGill and eventually serving on the faculty of the School of Social Work for 28 years.
Sheila met Victor when she was working for the League of Women Voters and he was a resident in pediatrics at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.
They settled in Montreal where they raised three children and both pursued lives of public engagement and enduring positive impact. Throughout their 67-year marriage they supported each other in raising their family, in community engagement and in their diverse and demanding professional lives.
Sheila provided leadership for many organizations including Red Feather, Centraide du Grand Montréal, la Fondation du Grand Montréal, the Positive Action Committee, Selwyn House School, Trafalgar School for Girls, Vanier College, the McGill Middle East Program in Civil Society and Peace Building, Friends of the McGill Library, Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, the Baron de Hirsch Institute/Jewish Family Services, Weredale House (now part of Batshaw Youth and Family Services), Meals on Wheels, l’Abri en Ville and the Queen Elizabeth Health Complex.
In 2007, at the age of 82, she co-chaired a Quebec-wide commission which made recommendations about how to improve the conditions for senior citizens in the province.
Sheila’s myriad contributions were recognized by the Order of Canada and the Ordre National du Québec.
She received honorary doctorates from Mount Holyoke College and McGill University. The Quebec Community Groups Network’s annual Community Service Award is named in her and Victor’s honour.
Sheila is survived by her children Susan (Peter Restler), Michael (Fiona Macleod), Jonathan (Alice Switocz), her grandchildren Victoria (Byron Alex) and Lincoln Restler (Anna Poe-Kest), Alexandra and Matthew Goldbloom, her great grandchildren Sol and Sylvia Restler-Alex and her sister Deanne Marein-Efron.
As with the many people whose lives she touched, we are immeasurably grateful for the love, encouragement and guidance she gave us and the example she set. She has been and will always be our most profound inspiration.
We would like to express our deep gratitude to Lita Abubo, Cecile Gordon and Mayra Rodas for their love and care for Sheila over the last years of her life and to the staff of the Port Royal for their unfailing kindness and support.
Nous aimerions également exprimer notre appréciation à Annick St-Jean qui a accompagné Sheila et sa famille avec sagesse et compassion durant ses derniers jours.
Sheila dedicated herself to helping others. Volunteering your time or making a financial contribution to a community organization would be a fitting way to honour her life.
A funeral service will be held at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, 4100 Sherbrooke St. W, at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 8th, 2022.
The family will be available to receive condolences as of 9:00 a.m. and following the service.
A private family burial will follow the service.