Sheila McKenzie was born Sheila Annette Mac Cormack on May 16, 1937 to Nellie Blanche Hudson and Noel Mac Cormack in Kingston, Jamaica.  She had 3 sisters: Jeane Hageman (Calgary, Canada), Marie Simmons (Barbados) and Noelle Patricia Ramcharan (Trinidad and Tobago).  After a struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, Sheila died in her sleep on Friday, March 20, 2020. She is sadly missed by her children Anne Marie (Steve), Bryan (Nikki), and Carey (Cristal), as well as her grandchildren: Natalie, Adam, Simone, Collin, and Malcolm.  

Sheila’s father died while she was young and her mother died when Bryan was a toddler. Although we did not know our grandmother, our mother told us many stories of the wisdom of our grandmother and the other Hudson women. Even within the backdrop of strong Hudson women, the four MacCormack sisters were a force of nature - each possessing a formidable intellect, a distinct and vibrant personality, and a biting wit. Remarkably, throughout life, there was never a situation divisive enough to threaten their bond. They remained inseparable while ultimately living in 4 different countries.

The second eldest of the MacCormack girls was Sheila, a striking beauty with a magnetic smile and a captivating laugh.  At the age of 23, she attracted the attention of Winston Anthony McKenzie. They were married on December 10, 1960 and remained so until Winston passed away in 2004. Sheila and Winston raised their family in Kingston, Jamaica, where they cultivated many lifelong friendships. Sheila’s cooking and baking skills were legendary, much the result of the time she spent at the hip of her Aunt Lucille Abrahams as a young adult.  She was well known for her lavish dinners during which family and friends would savor meals worthy of a Michelin star. A family favorite was her standing rib roast with Yorkshire pudding. The meal was always enhanced with a glass of wine, opinionated debate, and much laughter. Sheila’s Easter Bun, Christmas Pudding and icebox cake were unrivaled. Friends lobbied and jockeyed for position to get on the ever-growing list of lucky recipients for those annual treats. Given her devotion to family, it was no surprise when she left her job at the Jamaica Water Commission so that she could more fully commit to her children and their activities. Since her children’s activities mostly revolved around competitive swimming for the Flying Fish Ambassadors, Sheila naturally became the Team Manager under coach Neville Alexander.  The family traveled extensively with the swim team to Latin America, the UK and the Caribbean for swim meets.  Although known for her business-like efficiency, Flying Fish members now most remember Sheila for her infectious, distinctive, and joyous laugh.

The family was forced to abandon a comfortable lifestyle in Jamaica, leaving everything behind to migrate to Bethesda, Maryland in 1977.  A pragmatic and resilient woman, Sheila unflinchingly downgraded her customary upscale food and clothing purchases to meet the necessary frugality of their new circumstances.  She promptly secured a job at Chevy Chase Bank as a part-time bank teller. Immediately recognized for her strong work ethic, she quickly worked her way up to branch manager, and ultimately, Vice President and Head of Customer Service.  

Sheila’s mother and grandmothers all died young, and she and her children missed the experience of growing up with a grandmother.  Sheila not only embraced the opportunity to be a grandmother but treasured it as a gift that she had been given. She took the responsibility seriously and was present for the birth of every grandchild.  Once her first grandchild Natalie started kindergarten, she moved from Maryland to Georgia to help.  There she attended every school event, dance competition, and piano recital for Natalie and her younger sister, Simone.  Determined not to neglect her other grandchildren, she regularly visited her grandsons Adam, Collin and Malcolm in Maryland, homemade cookies in tow. She attended the grandsons' school events, tennis matches, football and basketball games, and swim meets.  She was very proud of her children and, even more so, her grandchildren.  It did not matter which state she lived in; if a grandchild was in need, or just ran low on homemade cookies, she was always willing to jump on a plane to help.

Sheila aged gracefully in every way.  She willingly shared her age and felt that getting older was nothing to be ashamed of.  She was often complimented on her beautiful silver hair, which she refused to dye. She traveled extensively with life-long friends, became an avid reader, and joined multiple book clubs. She even took dance classes at her granddaughters’ dance studio.  Never satisfied with mediocrity, she took cake decorating classes, because she thought store-bought cakes were too pedestrian for her prized grandchildren.  Her transition to Georgia was seamless, and soon she had organized neighborhood Bunko parties and drove carpools to the symphony with her new friends. On a visit to her home in Georgia, her sons were amused to see that she had enough margarita glasses to host the entire neighborhood at her Cinco de Mayo party – because plastic cups, and, heaven forbid, paper napkins would just never do! Always independent and eager to learn, she was the first in the family to master the intricacies of the computer and to purchase a Kindle for all of her books. 

It was so easy for Sheila to endear herself to all who knew her because she was caring and considerate of others.  She admonished her children to never be ‘a user of people’, but to be givers instead.  A woman of faith, she was very active in her church and every other community to which she belonged.  As her children grew up, she was adamant that her daughter become independent and that her sons learn to cook and do their laundry. This ethos was partly the reason that her daughter became a physician and that her sons became wonderful husbands and devoted dads. She hated ironing, but Bryan and Carey understood that the ironing lessons were really about developing them into good partners for their future wives and good examples for their future children.

Sheila was fiercely loyal to the friends that she acquired at every stage of her life, many of whom continued to check on her regularly during her illness. Her dearest friend Angela routinely called her, in the end, stubbornly speaking to silence on the off chance that she was getting through to the vanishing piece of Sheila that remained accessible. Although Alzheimer’s took its toll on Sheila’s ability to communicate, her sisters and her children drew even closer to each other and surrounded Sheila with an intangible web of love and support. One week before her death, Sheila was at home in bed, surrounded by her three children, their spouses, and all five of her grandchildren, as a priest delivered her last rights. It was a moment of tears, love, and ultimately, peace,

Sheila was the quintessential wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend.  She left her mark by being who she was and by captivating all whom she touched. We will miss her loving presence and that unforgettable laugh, but most of all, we will remain forever grateful for the indelible mark of love she left in each of us. May she rest in peace.  

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