Sheila O'Brien Mitchell

Sheila Ann O’Brien was born on January 6, 1969 in Cambridge MN to James John O’Brien & Laura Ann O’Brien (née Halling). After graduating in 1987 from Cambridge High School, she studied early childhood development at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. There she met her soulmate Kevin John Mitchell of Marshall MN. They married on September 26, 1992 in Minneapolis MN and shared a heart for 30 years.

Sheila & Kevin resided in Columbus Ohio where Sheila completed her education at The Ohio State University, earning a BA in Art Education in 1995. They had two daughters: Lauren Maria Mitchell (1997) and Claire Lillian Mitchell (2001). Having lost her father at an early age, Sheila was a uniquely dedicated mother & wife. She was a visual artist and a creator in various media. She worked as a writer at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company in the public relations department. Sheila often expressed her creativity through painting, which she continued despite the disabling neurological disease which limited her but never broke her spirit.

Sheila became a cherished friend to many through her love of golden retrievers, having started a breeding line under the name Rembrandt Golden Retrievers. For more than 20 years Sheila donated her energies to many charitable organizations that fostered her passions, including: Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland, Xenos Christian Fellowship and Schools, Columbus Youth Ballet, and the Golden Retriever Club of Central Ohio. If you knew her, you knew her warm smile; if you loved her, you were often blessed by the generous giving of her time.

Sheila was predeceased by her father James O’Brien. She is survived by her mother Laura O’Brien, her brothers Paul, Dale and Terry O’Brien, her sister Cassandra O’Brien, her husband Kevin, her beloved daughters Lauren and Claire, and her eternal friend and spiritual sister, Theresa Pierce.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 30, 2023 from 4pm to 7pm, and a Funeral Service in her memory will take place on Thursday, August 31, 2023 at 11am at SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST, 1740 Zollinger Road, Columbus, Ohio 43221 on August 31 at 11am.

For those who are so moved, financial donations in her memory will be accepted to the Sheila O’Brien Mitchell Foundation (SOMF), a non-profit corporation dedicated to supporting MSA research as well as direct aid to late-stage MSA patients and their caregivers. Click the link: https://gofund.me/2bb5a1b4. Please visit www.schoedinger.com to share memories and condolences.