Sheila Anne Shugerman

Sheila was born at home, in Liverpool, England, on May 7, 1934, to Harold and Betty Moffatt. She died at home, peacefully, on November 5, 2023, with her children, loving friends, and devoted caregivers by her side. She is survived by her son John Melville Miller, IV, daughter Amanda Moffatt Miller DuBois, son in law Lee Allen DuBois, beloved cousin in Liverpool Joyce McNaughton, and many, many wonderful friends.

Sheila wanted to be an actress but wasn't permitted by her loving yet stern father. So, she attended "finishing school" and went to work for the Liverpool Flying Club, where she took flying lessons! She later became a Community Relations Officer at the RAF Chelveston Air Base. Her job was to promote Anglo-American relations, and she met and fell in love with the American base doctor, John Melville Miller, III, MD. They married at Chelsea Old Church in London on July 11, 1959, and quickly moved to his hometown of Cordova, Alabama. Ever sunny and always one to make the best of things, Sheila charmed her new community and made life-long friends there. Her descriptions of life in Cordova in the late 50s and early 60s have made us laugh for decades.

Son John IV was born in March of 1961. When "big John" decided in 1964 he had been in enough coal mines attending to medical emergencies, he pursued a residency in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. Sheila had great fun with her friend Frannie (Sherlock Brown) riding around the city and beyond in Frannie's VW with their two children in the back. John and Sheila eventually moved to Tenafly, New Jersey just in time for Amanda's birth in 1966.

In 1970, the Millers moved back to Alabama as John had been recruited to become the Director of Spain Rehabilitation Center at UAB Hospital. Eager to be involved and helpful, Sheila was a charter member of the Women's Committee of Spain Rehabilitation Center and served on its board for decades. By 1972, Sheila had also found and bonded with a group of other ladies from the United Kingdom who were living in Alabama and started the Alabama chapter of the Daughters of the British Empire. They named it the Bulldog Chapter after the Miller family's English Bulldog, Boris. Friends from this circle became some of the most dear of her lifetime. In recent years, the younger D.B.E. members - especially Fionna Shattuck and Christine McMullin – often drove Sheila to their gatherings, for which Amanda will be eternally grateful. They loved Sheila, and she loved them back.

After John III died, sadly and prematurely in 1976, Sheila supported herself and her two children by selling the Encyclopedia Britannica. In 1977, she became the first Public Relations Director for Birmingham's new public radio station, WBHM, later becoming the Director of the Radio Reading Service there. In 1978, she was introduced to a kind and gentle man, Earle H. Shugerman, MD, and the rest is history. Sheila and Earle married on May 22, 1982, and lived very happily until his death in 2010. They enjoyed hosting friends at home, travelling the world together and took many trips to her favorite place – the beach! Oh, how she loved the sun and a good book! At her last visit to St. Luke's this Fall, when the priest asked her for what they could pray, Sheila said, "I want to go to the beach." She giggled telling this story afterwards.

Never one to miss any fun, Sheila did not want to leave this world. But she was very tired after a valiant fight with illness for over a year. We know she's making mischief in heaven now, and probably leading the choir of angels – singing loudly. We miss her. She was a loving and affectionate mother and friend.

Many thanks to Connie, Shauna, Lisa, and Tanesha who provided loving personal care in Sheila's last months. Extra special thanks to Julie Baker, who we called Sheila's "manager," and was her most devoted buddy. Expect Care Hospice nurses were with us for only 3 days, yet they provided exceptional care. Amanda, John and Julie are grateful to them all.

A funeral service will be held at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Monday, November 13, 2023, at 10:00 am, with burial at Old Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Cordova immediately following.

Donations in Sheila's memory may be made to Hand-In-Paw (www.handinpaw.org,) the St. Luke's Foundation, or 12to1 (www.12to1.com, formerly the Women's Committee of Spain Rehab.)

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.johnsridouts.com for the Shugerman family.