Sheila Jeanne Darby

Sheila Jeanne Darby, 88, passed away peacefully on October 15, 2016 in Venice, Florida after a long illness. Over the past three years she amazed everyone around her with her resilience, acceptance and good humor. She was born August 27, 1928 in Terra Haute, Indiana to Curtis Gilbert Thomas and Dorothy Dale Moore. She graduated from Indiana University Bloomington and worked in Chicago as a statistician for Time Inc.'s Fortune magazine in the iconic Wrigley Building. Her job was figuring out how many copies to print each month and just as she was getting good at it she met and married John Howell Darby and left her job. They raised four children together, mostly in Phoenix, Arizona and Boca Raton, Florida until his untimely death in 1975. She never remarried or worked and focused her life on her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She was very proud of each and every one of them. Sheila loved to travel with her family, especially cruises, and had a love of candy and dessert the last years of her life. We all made sure she had a steady supply, especially Cathy and Lauryn who brought her warm baked cookies each week. Sheila is predeceased by her husband John and beloved son Drew. She is survived by her daughters, Debby Darby, Dana Howes (Jim), Diane Craig, and daughter-in-law, Cathy Darby, and her many grandchildren (Erin, Ashlie, Jim ""JK"", Danielle, Caitlin, Andy, Kathryn, Kaitlyn, Korey, Matthew, Lauryn, and Drayton) and great grandchildren (George, Kaylie, Leah, Alexa, Knox, Kinsler, Zaxon, Juliette, and Emma). Many thanks to the loving staff and volunteers from Tidewell Hospice, Bay Breeze Health and Rehabilitation Center and Harbor Chase Assisted Living. Services and burial will be private. Farley Funeral Home in Venice is handling the arrangements.