Sheila Sidran Sidran Giller

The daughter of Joseph and Kate Sidran, Sheila was born in New York City on February 25, 1931. She graduated from Highland Park High School and attended Southern Methodist University. She married Sam Giller in 1950. Their daughters, Esther and Rachel, were born in 1952 and 1956, respectively.

A talented, lifelong yarn crafter and needle worker, she began knitting and crocheting in earnest in the late ‘60s and taught needlecraft classes in her home.

In the ‘70s, after making wedding cakes for private clients and baking cookies for Temple Emanu-El’s Sabbath receptions for several years, Sheila enrolled in El Centro College’s Food Service Management program. She opened The French Baker in Preston Royal in 1980, importing everything from custom ovens to pastry chefs from France. The French Baker was an immediate hit. Its delicious wares sold widely to the public, hotels, restaurants, and civic institutions in Dallas. The French Baker represented France in the International Exhibit at the Texas State Fair, sponsored by the French Trade Commission.

Sheila’s bakery business success was cut short when she left to care and advocate for her younger daughter, who faced a life-threatening medical crisis followed by severe post-traumatic stress. In 1986, Sheila and her mother co-founded The Sidran Institute, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works on behalf of people healing from traumatic stress disorders. She remained an active officer on the board until her death.

In addition to her beloved husband of 67 years and her two daughters, Sheila is survived by son-in-law, Craig Hankin of Baltimore, grandson Joe Hankin and his wife, Nicole Concepcion, of Oakland, CA, and grandson Charlie Hankin of Brooklyn, NY. Her sister, Rita Mallett Blasser, predeceased her.

A Funeral Service will be at 2:00 pm on Monday, August 21, 2017, at Sparkman/Hillcrest Northwest Hwy., 7405 W. Northwest Hwy., Dallas, TX 75225. Burial will follow in Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Sidran Traumatic Stress Institute, (www.sidran.org), Temple Emanu-El of Dallas (www.tedallas.org), or the charity of your choice.