Obituary of Sheila W. Hastings

Age 84, a long time resident of Thomaston, Maine, passed away peacefully in her sleep in Appleton, Maine on June 14, 2023 after a gradual health decline attributed to a 20+ year progression of an autoimmune liver disease, Primary Billary Cholangitis. 

She was comforted through the years by her strong faith in God and eternal life. She was at peace.  

Sheila was the youngest of five siblings. She grew up a Lighthouse Keeper’s daughter and spent several years living at Owls Head Lighthouse. She has shared numerous stories of her lighthouse life with her family and friends. Those young and impressionable years were some of her most memorable and she was so proud to have the lighthouse heritage as part of her life and the importance of the manual operations of those lights  for all vessels at all hours and all weather conditions.  

At 5 & 6 years old she was conducting tours at the lighthouse. Relaying the importance of the light, leading visitors up the spiral stairs and cautioning them to be careful not to touch the huge lenses of the main light. She would often be the one to throw the long heavy rope over her shoulder when a vessel was approaching and run down the hill ringing the bell welcoming them to the harbor and greeting them all with the Coast Guard wave.  

Sheila was a 1957 graduate of Thomaston High School and she married Bernard Hastings in 1957.  She and Bernard lived in South Thomaston at the “Keag” for a brief period after marriage and had two beautiful daughters Penny and Pamela before moving to Thomaston.  

Their quaint little Victorian cottage style home was situated between her mother & father’s house, her grandmother’s house and Bernard’s mother and father’s that later became Bernard’s brother Richard’s house on Hyler Street.  A rare and wonderful opportunity for all the children to grow up with both sets of grandparents, great grandmother and cousins all within a couple of houses of each other.  At one point with 5 generations living. 

Sheila was first and foremost in every way a Mother, a Nana, an Auntie and a friend to so many.  Her family and friends remained her first thought every morning and every night. She would move heaven and earth for her family and closest friends.  

Sheila and her family celebrated weekly Saturday night bean suppers with the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins for years and she became family famous for her homemade yeast rolls and later her Nisu bread and cheesecake that became Christmas traditions. 

She always had a radiant smile that lit up the world. She remained meticulously dressed and every hair in place with perfectly applied make up and lipstick until the very end. She always said that she couldn’t fully wake up until she had her make up, lipstick and hair done.  

Sheila worked at Sylvania in Waldoboro before transitioning to a lab technician specializing in pathology at Pen Bay Medical Center.    

After her several years working as a lab tech, she wanted to care for her grandchildren and have a day care for some of the local teachers’ children. She cared and nurtured these children as if they were her own until they outgrew the need for daycare.  

During this time, she also discovered her passion for being a private party sales person and first became a Mary Kay consultant sharing the beauty of make up and skin care with many. She won many awards and prizes for her sales and service. 

She also worked many of her “favorite” years as a Christmas Around the World, House of LLoyd Gifts District Manager winning numerous awards and trips all over the world. 

In her later years, she worked at MBNA in Camden for 5 years before retiring.  

Shelia loved to travel the world and she earned cruises to the Caribbean, trips to Hawaii, Mexico, Italy, England, Germany, Greece and many others through her top sales with House of Lloyd, that she shared with her family and brought them along as guests.  

Some of her favorite memories of family life were on Crawford Lake at MicMac Cove camping and sailing for many summers. Along with annual summer visits to PEI Canada.  

The youngest of five children Sheila was Born on December 8, 1938 to George and Hazel Woodward, granddaughter of Mabel and Hervey Wass. She is predeceased by her half sister Charlotte Farley of Rockport, her half brother Coleman Woodward, of Camden, her sister Barbara St Clair of So Thomaston, and her brother Richard Woodward of Missouri.  

She leaves behind her long time companion Herbert Perkins of Thomaston, her two daughters, Penny Reckards of Appleton, Pamela Gray and her husband Ken of Bangor, her step-children Ronnie Hastings and his wife Judy of Thomaston, Doris Ervin and her husband Craig of Warren, her grandchildren Aimee Lash of Friendship, Angela Lash of Thomaston, Valisha Reckards Manning of Texas and Jeremiah Gray of Thomaston along with several great grandchildren, Sierra Weeks, Nelson Weeks, Joshua Radic, Noelle Delano, Sunshine Wilson, Lexi Manning, Allison Manning and Keegan Gray. 

The family would like to convey a heartfelt thank you to the Sussman House staff for their care and compassion in helping us navigate her final hours fulfilling her last wish of dying at home.  

A memorial gathering is planned at 300 Gurneytown Road in Appleton on Friday, June 30th at 2:00 pm for any and all friends and relatives that would like to attend and share stories and hugs. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to our beloved church camp, Winniaugwamauk. Please make checks payable to Community of Christ Re: In Memory of Sheila Hastings and mail to Julie Burke, 43 Ginnie May Way, Ellsworth, ME. 04605.  

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.directcremationofmaine.com

 

 

 

 

 

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