Sheila Mary Kucera

Sheila Mary Kucera (Clarke), our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and friend died October 10, 2022 at age 84. Sheila loved her family and friends. Sheila enjoyed life to its fullest. She began her life in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England on September 8, 1938 to parents Isla and James Clarke (a sea going engineer). Born at the start of WW II, in a large, industrial city, the family relocated, for safety, to the rural Lake District. She stayed with her mother and sister while her father served in London. This began her love affair with this beautiful part of England. After the war, the family returned to the Newcastle area of Cullercoats. As a young girl, Sheila had a pen pal in France, named Raymonde. The two friends visited back and forth between England and France building a friendship that would last a lifetime. As young adults, the two friends began a world tour, which included a stop in Frankfurt, Germany. It was here that Sheila and Raymonde had a blind double date with two American Servicemen, Anthony Kucera and Ken Jahn. Both couples would marry and move back to the United States. This was the start of a long beautiful marriage, lasting nearly 60 years for Sheila and Anthony. They married in England in 1962. Later they welcomed a daughter, Isla Joyce in Germany and then returned to the United States after Anthony's commitment was over. A few years later they welcomed their second child, Colin Kucera. Sheila had a strong sense of adventure and this included travel. Sheila and Anthony traveled much of South Pacific, Europe, and parts of Asia. She also took her children to England multiple times. One of Sheila's passions was music. She enjoyed listening to music and particularly singing. She was active in choirs for many years. Sheila was academically competitive and won several achievement awards. She received her degree in education and taught at different times throughout her life. Sheila and Anthony, later in life, pursued their shared interest in antiques and collectibles and participated in many antique shows throughout the south. But, Sheila's legacy is the love she shared with her family. All who knew and loved her will appreciate the profound loss we are all feeling. She is survived by her husband, Anthony L. Kucera; daughter, Isla (John) Joyce; son, Colin (DeBorah) Kucera; grandchildren, Andrea (Wesley) Reid, Jake (Macy) Joyce, Hayden Kucera, Jase Kucera; step grandsons, Riley and Noah; sister, Isla Mackintosh; and a host of relatives and friends.

Tributes

Sheila Mary Kucera

September 8, 1938 - October 10, 2022