Sheila Stathopoulos was born on May 10th, 1962 in Fort William. She would always tell me that the day she was born it was snowing outside, so it is fitting that on the day she passed, March 23rd, 2025, it was also snowing.
She fought a hard, long battle with Ovarian cancer which she was diagnosed with in 2014. She beat all the odds of her diagnosis through sheer grit, determination and her unflinching love of life.
She loved life so much she simply refused to leave it, always moving forward, always learning new things and although she left the world far too young she led a full life.
From her athletic accomplishments in high school to her tenure as a philosophy student for 10+ years at Lakehead University and her later spiritual conversion, she managed to work her body, mind and spirit.
She was a licensed hairdresser. She also worked tirelessly in the family business whether it was at her parents Jimmy and Tina's many restaurants or their wholesale food business Olympic Meats.
She ran The Apollo Bar with her mother which became one of the most unique small music venues across the Canadian touring circuit, loved by both the local and out-of-town bands for their unending hospitality.
Sheila travelled extensively through the United States by car and always romanticized about her time spent living in New York where she saw many Jazz legends play at The Village Vanguard and Blue Note Club. She travelled to Greece many times with her family throughout the decades and would recount her time in Europe on a high school trip where she stood at the foot of the Alps in Geneva and ate french fries in Paris.
She is predeceased by her beloved brother Stanley, who was her main partner-in-crime growing up and by her parents Jimmy and Constantina (also known as Tina.)
When she passed she was clutching a homespun shawl her late cousin Eleni had given her.
“I do not die but live to declare the good works of the Lord.” That is the prayer we used to say every day when we parted with each other (when she was in the hospital during her final months.) Even with all the odds stacked against her she still had hope in the face of her illness.
This prayer was answered because she never truly will die because of the lasting impact she had on her friends, family, loved ones and the countless musicians she hosted.
She was a loving caregiver to her parents when they both had dementia.
She was a lover of animals – her dogs Kenny & Louie, Stash, Sparky & Lucky, our cats Michou, Snowball and Marika and most recently a little ball-of-fire husky / shepherd mix named Percy, who she loved dearly until her final days (and countless other family pets from her childhood.)
She loved good food, dancing in nightclubs, classical art, cosmic American music, read thousands of books, watched thousands of movies, studied cosmetics and skincare, fashion, footcare and in the last year of her life immersed herself in colour theory.
She loved shopping at thrift stores – always up for the thrill of finding some valuable trinket or vintage piece of clothing.
A special thanks to the nurses and doctors at Paramed, St. Joseph's Care Group and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for their loving care and valiant efforts at restoring her to health. They never gave up.
A special thanks to Lori and Angela for being there for her the day she passed and for Father Konstantinos Tsiolas for offering prayers of healing at her bedside. One of her closest friends from childhood Leah sent her love which made her beam happily.
She will be dearly missed by myself (Alex), her closest friend and companion through life.
Burial is scheduled for Wednesday, April 2nd at 11 am, Riverside Cemetery. Father Konstantinos will preside over the graveside service. We will also be honouring her mother Constantina as the interment of her ashes will take place at the same time. A celebration of life will be announced soon. Email Alex at [email protected] for details or look up Sheila Rock on Facebook.
Condolences may be made through www.nwfainc.com
