July 31, 1932 - May 22, 2021
We are saddened to announce the death of Sheila McMillan, age eighty- eight, on May 22, 2021, in Kamloops, B.C. She passed at Kamloops Seniors Village after a struggle with Alzheimer's.
Sheila was born in Revelstoke, B.C., on July 31, 1932, the eldest child of Lorna Elizabeth (Stevenson) and Charles Clark Boyd. She spent her early years in Arrowhead, B.C., with extended visits to her Grandmother Stevenson's farm in Mara. In 1941 the family moved to Deep Cove, and shortly after that to North Vancouver.
The summer of 1949, Sheila went to the Cariboo to work at the Flying U Guest Ranch on Green Lake. She met James McMillan that summer at a dance at the Watch Lake Hall. The following summer, after graduating from high school and becoming engaged to Jim, Sheila returned to the Cariboo and worked at the Unicorn Guest Ranch on Horse Lake.
Following the sudden death of her mother, Sheila returned to North Vancouver and kept house for her father and her three siblings, until she and Jim were married on April 20, 1951.
Jim and Sheila's first home was the cookhouse at Jim's logging camp on the East end of Canim Lake. They moved to Lone Butte in November 1951, where they lived (behind the big red garage) until the fall of 1975.
They then moved to their home overlooking the lake and the golf course at the 108 Mile Ranch. For over 30 years Jim and Sheila wintered in Palm Desert, California, enjoying the warmth and the golf. They played regularly with the 'Brown Baggers'; many of whom were fellow BC snowbirds. Sheila and Jim also enjoyed traveling and were able to see many parts of the world including the traditional motorhome trip across Canada!
In 2011, they moved to Kamloops to be closer to their eldest daughter Lorna. Sadly, as Sheila's memory deteriorated and she required more care than Jim could offer, Sheila moved to the Residential Care Unit at Kamloops Seniors Village in March of 2019, where she remained until her death.
While busy raising her daughters and supporting Jim in all his endeavours, Sheila was also an active participant in the community, volunteering with the Lone Butte Community Association, the Legion Women's Auxiliary, and the 100 Mile Hospital Ladies Auxiliary.
She was a Guide leader for many years in Lone Butte, and later became District Commissioner for the Girl Guides of Canada for the South Cariboo. She was an early member of the 108 Women's Golf Club and was involved in organizing the Pud Griffin Memorial Tournament in the 1980s.
Sheila had many skills, which she passed on to her daughters. She wallpapered or painted many a room at Lone Butte and the 108. Summers were a time for picking raspberries, making jam, and canning fruit, along with trips to Green Lake, and later, golf at the 108.
Sheila was a gifted needlewoman. She sewed clothes for her girls and their dolls, hooked rugs, crocheted, tatted lace, did cross stitch and embroidery, and knitted! Indeed, she was seldom seen without her knitting in her hand, or at least nearby, and she was proud to be certified a Master Knitter by the Knitting Guild of Canada in 2001.
Sheila was an avid reader, a love she instilled her daughters from an early age. We often laughed that Mum was the only person we knew who could read, knit, and watch TV simultaneously!
Sheila leaves behind to cherish her memory her husband Jim, daughters Lorna McMillan (Robin Johnson), Leslie Watson (Jamie), and Barbara McMillan (Yen Jong) and grandchildren Sheila and Ian Johnson, Alex and Michael Watson, and Sophia and Brian Jong, her brother Alan Boyd (Janet), sisters-in-law Shirley McMillan and Leslie Ginther and numerous nieces and nephews. Sheila was predeceased by her parents and siblings Iris and Ian.
Many thanks to the loving staff at the Kamloops Seniors Village for the care they gave Sheila. A celebration of Sheila's life will take place later, when we can gather in large numbers. Donations in Sheila's memory can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or a charity dear to your heart. Condolences may be sent to the family at DrakeCremation.com