Sheila Valda Baker (nee Moody) was born on November 29, 1927, in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England, the only child of Tom and Elsie (Cox) Moody, and passed away at Sunnyside Care Centre in Medicine Hat, Alberta, on August 10, 2021 at the age of 93 years. She is survived by her step-daughter, Robin (Stan) Krause and their family; Michael’s widow, Marie-Jose Chartier; Hugh’s widow, Helen Baker and her family; cousins in England and Nova Scotia and dear friends on both continents. Sheila was predeceased by her parents, Tom and Elsie Moody; her husband, Eric Baker; and step sons, Michael and Hugh Baker. Sheila grew up in the quiet English village of Shepton Mallet, attending a convent school where she learned to love the traditions and liturgy of the church. She experienced the bombing of the blitz during WWII as a teenager. Only one bomb fell on their village, but Sheila described the fear they all felt as they listened to the bombers heading for London as they flew over every night. When Sheila was 17 her mother became seriously ill. The doctor told Sheila she must put her life on hold and care for her mother, which she did for months until Elsie recovered. Always an active participant in parish life, Sheila for a time lived the demanding life of a clergy wife. When her marriage ended she returned home to care for her aging parents, which she continued until their deaths. In the mid 1980’s, Dr. Eric Baker was doing volunteer work at a mission hospital in Zimbabwe, following the death of his wife Grace from cancer. On one of his trips, Eric stopped in England to renew acquaintances with friends and family there. He and Sheila met, and romance began to blossom. They continued their long distance courtship until Tom Moody passed away in the spring of 1989. Sheila and Eric were married on May 4, 1989 and after a brief honeymoon, Sheila left the green countryside of southern England to live with Eric in Medicine Hat. She faced whatever challenges she encountered with her usual courage, and found some kindred spirits in other British expats to help her understand, if not always accept, the Canadian way of things. She drew a circle of friends from various walks of life that persists to today. Together Eric and Sheila created a beautiful garden in the English style at their home near the hospital with masses of geraniums in front and flowers and vegetables in the backyard. Sheila and Eric loved to travel. Their favorite place to visit was the Lizard in Cornwall. In speaking of their marriage, Sheila always said they were always laughing, and their photos attest to that. For a few years they hosted a themed party around Christmas that involved dressing up and playing games that had everyone laughing. Sadly, in 1994 Eric was diagnosed with dementia. Sheila promised him she would care for him at home, which she did, until his death on September 4, 1996. After Eric’s death Sheila visited England a few more times but chose to stay on in her Medicine Hat home. She and Eric had become active in the Holy Trinity Anglican congregation, and Sheila continued to be involved in the life of the parish. She continued to care for anyone she found needing a kind word or a listening ear, either visiting at the hospital or going about her life. Many of these people have remained fast friends right to the present. In late October of 2014, Sheila suffered a brain hemorrhage which required surgery at Calgary Foothills Hospital. After returning to Medicine Hat it was determined she could no longer manage in her home, and she moved to 2 North at the hospital. She worked hard to get walking again after her surgery, but in February 2015 fell and fractured a hip. More surgery, and then, a placement at Sunnyside! Once again Sheila worked with the physiotherapist until she was walking again. She continued to be interested in the people around her, helping where she could, talking and sharing stories and cups of afternoon tea. At Sunnyside, Sheila faithfully attended the weekly mass provided by volunteers from the congregation at Holy Family Parish, and took an active part. It was her wish to have her funeral at Holy Family, so following cremation Sheila’s funeral will be held on Friday, August 27 at 11:00am at Holy Family Parish, 1451 Strachan Road SE, Medicine Hat. Burial to follow at Hillside Cemetery. Family and friends are welcome to participate via livestream by logging on to the Holy Family Parish page at www.youtube.com/. Condolences may be sent to condolences@saamis.com subject heading Sheila Baker.