Sheila Husk
August 25, 1964- February 5, 2021
Sheila was a beloved wife, mother, sister, and aunt. She is survived by her mother Mary, husband James, daughters Julia (20), Jillian (19), Jacqueline (13), sister Anne (Richard), and nieces Caitlin (Charles) and Ashley. She is pre-deceased by her father, Daniel Greaney. The youngest daughter of Daniel Greaney and Mary Sullivan, Sheila and Anne grew up in Inwood on the upper west side of Manhattan. Sheila attended Good Shepherd School in Inwood before following her big sister to St. Catherine's Academy in the Bronx. She would go on to attend Lehman College where she earned her associates in Nutrition before enrolling at the Cochran School of Nursing and graduating with a degree in nursing.
Sheila's entire life was dedicated to the service of others. She began her career as a medical assistant in the Bronx at the office of Dr. Matfus. She later worked tirelessly as a social worker in the Bronx, before accepting a position at the Visiting Nurse Service for Francis Schervier in Riverdale. She was a beloved caretaker and colleague who took great pride in caring for the homebound. Sheila spent the last 13 years of her life as a nurse at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, where she was revered for her dedication, compassion and sense of humor for her co-workers and patients alike.
Sheila had a beautiful childhood growing up with her sister, Anne, in Inwood. They would spend their days after school at Inwood Park either playing tennis or ice skating, and often watching their father play handball with their uncles well into the evening. With both parents hailing from Ireland, the Irish culture was infused into every part of Sheila's life. Trips back to Ireland with the family always involved great craic with the cousins. The sisters always had their memories to hold onto until the next trip. Sheila was a competitive Irish Dancer for the Early-McLoughlin School where she spent many weekends either dancing at a feis or practicing for one. She and Anne competed at several Oireachtas competitions and made lifelong friends competing in both teams and solo dances. She ended her dancing career by joining the adult 8- hand figure in her final Oireachtas, where the team took first place.
Summers for Sheila always involved the beach. Growing up, she came to love the ocean so much that nothing could interfere with her happiness. Once while at Rockaway Beach, she went swimming with a broken wrist unbeknownst to all because she was just too happy to be in the water. Sheila was like a fish and would spend hours swimming along the shores of Rockaway. Her love for the shore was one of the many joys she shared with her children. The annual summer trip with the cousins to Long Beach Island was the coveted event of every year. Long days at the beach meant spaghetti dinners with boxed wine and late night ice cream trips. The laughter never stopped, leading to countless good memories that will be cherished for eternity. Sheila grew up in a big family of Sullivan cousins. As a child, trips were often taken across the river to Aunt Breeda's house in Dumont, where Sheila and Anne would share many adventures with their cousins Patricia, Noreen, Bernadette, and Kerri during summer sleep overs. There were also many summer days spent in East Durham in the Catskills that involved intense family soccer games and ping- pong, before cooling down in the creek or more often, the pool. Sheila even became the unbeatable ambidextrous champion at ping- pong after she had no choice but to use her other arm while her broken wrist healed one summer.
Sheila was married to the love of her life, Jimmy, and they just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in December 2020. Together they raised three beautiful daughters, Julia, Jillian, and Jackie at their home in Riverdale, NY. Sheila became an integral part of the St. Gabriel Parish where she formed lifelong friendships through volunteering at numerous church and school events. Sheila was a bright light to everyone she encountered. Everything Sheila did, she did for her family.
The wake will be held at Riverdale-on-Hudson Funeral Home, 6110 Riverdale Ave. Bronx NY on Tuesday, February 9 from 2-5pm. The funeral mass will be held Wednesday, February 10 at St. Margaret's Church at 10:45am. The burial is at St. Mary's Cemetery in Yonkers.
(Facial coverings are required and adherence to social distancing is in effect due to COVID-19 restrictions).