Sheila Ann Brewster

Sheila Ann (Powers) Brewster was born on February 6, 1940, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Leo and Nellie Powers. She was their second of four children, preceded by Eileen and followed by James and Nora. The family moved to Kansas City, Missouri and became parishioners at Saint Peter’s Catholic Church in the Brookside neighborhood and Sheila and her siblings attended the parish school (in fact, between Eileen, Sheila, and Nora, 11 grandchildren would also go on to attend Saint Peter’s school). Sheila was a devout Catholic all her life but she was not a lamb who blindly followed the flock. As an adult she was on a first name basis with bishops in the numerous dioceses where she lived, penning to them passionate and thoughtful dissents on any number of the Church’s interpretations on different matters. If she disagreed with a priest’s homily she was known to walk out and only return again when it was time for communion.

Sheila graduated from Bishop Hogan High School in Kansas City in 1957. During her school years, Sheila often heard from the nuns “Why can’t you be more like your sister Eileen?” Despite this, two things would never waiver. First, the closeness shared between the two sisters and second, that Sheila would always be her own person. As teenagers, Eileen’s boyfriend (and later husband) Richard Hair would work tirelessly to ensure Sheila had dates on the weekends but none stuck until Richard set Sheila up with his classmate and friend, Tom Brewster. Tom recognized a winner and swept 19-year-old Sheila off the market with a Christmas Eve engagement diamond. It would begin the adventure of a lifetime and was, in the words of Tom, “The best decision I ever made”. Their marriage would span 64 years!

Sheila and Tom were married on September 3, 1960, at St. Louis Church in Kansas City. During this time Sheila worked as a secretary at Hallmark, headquartered in Kansas City. The course of Tom’s career in the Navy and then with Western Electric (later AT&T) would take them from Kansas City to New Port, Rhode Island to Washington D.C. to San Diego, California (their favorite) to Omaha, Nebraska to Olathe and Overland Park and Topeka, Kansas to Flemington, New Jersey and finally to Aurora, Colorado. In every neighborhood they lived in, Sheila and Tom would make dear friends, many of whom they would stay in contact with for years to come.

Sheila and Tom had three children, Denise, Daniel (“Dan”), and Christopher (“Chris”). As parents, they ran a “tight ship”. Sheila’s children dreaded “the look” that instantly set them straight when they crossed a line. Sheila always preferred to hear “it” directly from her kids and she was tolerant of most mistakes but may require you to, for a time, suffer her cold shoulder. A staunch advocate for good sportsmanship, she taught her children how to be gracious in victory and defeat, viewing gloating and sulking with equal disdain. She was an ever-ready volunteer for PTAs, Scouts, and sports and later in Colorado was an ARC super volunteer.

As Sheila and Tom’s family grew through marriages and grandchildren, Sheila welcomed all unconditionally. Their nine grandchildren, Megan, Tim, Patrick, and Brian Taggart (Denise and Kevin - Highlands Ranch, CO), Haley and Gavin Brewster (Dan and Kimberly - Edwards, CO), and Brendan, Patrick, and Teddy Brewster (Chris and Emily - Kansas City, MO), knew Sheila, or “Mamaw” to them, to be an extremely lenient grandmother, in contrast to her parenting style and much to the consternation of her children and their spouses but to the delight and amusement of Mamaw. Mamaw’s presence in the lives of her grandchildren was unparalleled. She and Tom traversed the state and the country, often by train, to support their grandchildren in their various endeavors from sports, races, concerts, and first communions to every high school graduation and wedding. 

Sheila and Tom spent their golden years traveling - including a memorable trip to her ancestral farm in Ireland, playing bridge with neighborhood friends, and taking regular trips to casinos to test "the luck of the Irish" (or push their luck in Tom's view).

Most recently Mamaw became Great Mamaw to five beautiful great grandchildren - Thomas and Emma (Tim and Chelsey Taggart), Olivia (Patrick and Diana Taggart), Elliott (James and Megan McCall), and Campbell (Brian and Coral Taggart). Never ceasing to surprise, her latest hobby was creating limericks for each great grandchild which she would recite to each one as she held them. Mamaw was rarely seen without a baby in her lap or riding on her walker.

Sheila’s later years were not without their challenges and the family would like to thank several medical professionals who aided her quality of life. First, the Rocky Mountain Ear Center, in particular Allison Biever and Dr. Kelsall, who equipped Sheila with the life-changing Cochlear implant hearing device. The family also thanks Dr. Burke and the “two Amys” at the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center for their dedicated care and treatment of Sheila; and Dr. Siebold and Dr. Olson, ophthalmologists at UC Health, who provided excellent eye care to Sheila. We are also grateful to Sheila’s primary care physicians Dr. Draper and then Dr. Beougher. Finally, thank you to the 2nd floor staff at Advent Health, Parker for their care of Sheila.

On October 30, 2024, Sheila, our beloved wife, mom, sister, Mamaw, and friend, passed away from complications of Lymphoma and an aggressive infection. While her departure from us was unexpected, in the days leading to her passing she was surrounded by family, and we are comforted knowing she is at peace. We are also humbled by the friends and family near and far who showered their love on Sheila during this time.

To list all the ways in which Sheila will be missed would fill libraries. We will miss our moral compass, our counselor, and our sounding board. Remembering her wicked (and sometimes warped) sense of humor will always bring smiles to our faces. We know how to love and how to forgive without condition because Sheila showed us how to and we will always remember her “tough love” where she would listen without judgment and then set you straight. She may have disagreed with you, but she loved you nonetheless. We will miss her sense of adventure and fun. Anyone who met her knew she was one of a kind. While we miss Sheila (mom, Mamaw) here, we know she’s joining the very best of company, friends and family, including her parents, her sister Eileen, her brother-in-law Mike Jones, her sister-in-law Pat Brewster and more and we will continue to take care of each other every day here knowing she’s well taken care of in heaven.

A funeral mass will be held for Sheila on Friday, November 15, 2024, at Our Lady of Loreto Catholic Church at 11:00 am. Following mass, family and friends will gather in celebration of Sheila at the Heritage Eagle Bend Clubhouse. If you would like, donations can be made in Sheila’s name to the ARC of Aurora.

As she did for her great grandkids, we offer up a limerick as an ode to Sheila:

“Mamaw, you loved your family so,

Three kids, nine grands, and five great grands that you watched grow,

With Tom you went to Blackhawk and rode trains far,

To all the people you met, you surely were the star,

So raise a glass of white wine to the woman we all know,

Mamaw, your family loved you so.”