Bellevue, Washington - On March 27, 2021, Sheila Marie Hawkins Wimberley went home to be with her Lord after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 67 years old.

Sheila was born on December 15, 1953 to Robert & Ann Hawkins of Bellevue, Washington. Sheila's family moved to the modest suburb of Sherwood Forest in 1956 when it was only a small hamlet of about 6 families. Those families would soon see the explosive growth of Bellevue all around them, but until then, it proved to be an idyllic childhood home for Sheila and her family.

Sheila attended the brand new Sherwood Forest Elementary School, Highland Junior High and Interlake High School, graduating in 1972. Upon graduation she went to Central Washington University where she obtained her BA/Ed in Special Education. From a young age, she knew she wanted to be a teacher and it was while she was at Central that she found her true calling in Special Education. She found employment in the Bellevue School District where she taught in a classroom for many years before going to the University of Washington to obtain her Master's degree. Once she had her Master's, she narrowed her focus to specialize as an inclusion specialist for the Bellevue District. During her tenure, she became a strong advocate for children with disabilities and went on to teach teachers how to seamlessly include students with special needs into their classrooms, thereby helping them remain at their home school. Her work not only affected her students, but also the parents, siblings and grandparents of those students. Her advocacy touched the lives of so many people.

After her retirement in 2018, she and her husband Jim enjoyed traveling and spending time at their beautiful beach house in Long Beach, WA. Sheila was a woman with a strong faith and the ocean was always where she felt closest to God.

Sheila is survived by her husband James Wimberley, step-daughter Suze Joseph (Anthony), grandchildren Boone & Hunter, her sister Susie Hawkins-Wyman (Carl), step-mother Carolyn Hawkins and several wonderful nieces and nephews who all love their Aunt Sheila. She is preceded in death by her parents Robert B. Hawkins and Ann F. Weber, her older sister Karen Hawkins-Brown (Bob).

In lieu of flowers, we would ask that you make a donation to Cancer Care Alliance or the Purple Stride Organization. Both of these worthy organizations were dear to Sheila and her husband Jim.