COOPER was born in Hove Sussex, England, the eldest of three children.
For the first 10 years of her life, she lived mainly in Malaysia, where her father was a rubber planter.
Schooling was necessary, and along with her siblings she returned to England for a formal education.
But World War 2 saw the young family fleeing to Cornwall after her father was captured by the Japanese and held as a prisoner of war for eight long years.
Though her education was disrupted, Sheila still managed to become a teacher after a brief stint studying theatre (much to the horror of her parents).
Young, and with a love of drama and travel, it was while working in a hotel as a manageress that she met and fell in love with her husband, David.
Shortly after they met, David travelled to Rhodesia to work as a farm assistant – but not before the love birds became engaged.
Separated for two years, Sheila finally told David the wedding was ‘now or never’ and she set sail for Africa by Union Castle Line.
A fine affair
Trouble on the ship meant she was forced to disembark in Cape Town, and with money borrowed the brave young woman booked a rail ticket and set off on a four day journey to mysterious Rhodesia, where her fiancee waited.
For the wedding, she expected a simple affair, as she only knew five people in the country – but that was not to be.
Little did she know that her wedding was to be a grand affair, one that made the front page of the Times.
David became manager of three farms, and the couple had four children – Sally, Shawn, Julie and Cindy, before UDI was declared and the couple were forced to sell up and move to Salisbury, where Sheila opened a nursery school.
David died in 2002, and after being alone for two years, her family encouraged Sheila to move to Empangeni, where she settled at Leisure Gardens, making many friends and enthusiastically playing bridge, enjoying Wednesday Bible study, swimming in the sea, and regularly travelling around the world to visit her children and beloved grandchildren – her pride and joy.
This beautiful soul, who had a deep love for the Lord, will be sorely missed by her precious family, as well as her extended ‘family’ and friends in Empangeni.
