Obituary of Sheila Marcia Osborne-Simon

 

Sheila Marcia Osborne-Simon was born on June 12, 1961, in Cornwall Barrachs, Portland, Jamaica, West Indies.  She was the 9^th of twelve children, seven boys and five girls, born to Eric and Olive Osborne, devoted parents, full-time servants of Jehovah God and pillars in their congregation.   

Sheila was beloved by them all.  Her mother, Olive, pet-named her, Lally, and older brother, Edson, nick-named her, Eyes, because of her beautiful big and bright eyes.  She loved all her names.

Sheila was especially protected by them especially so because of her childhood illness, as she suffered from asthma.  Her older brother, Anton, was her constant companion and would ward-off any who tried to bully her in school.  To her eldest sister, Jean, Sheila was like her own child and was her image.

From infancy, Sheila was taught the scriptures by her parents and she grew to love the truth about our Creator, Jehovah God, and his promises to restore paradise to the earth.  She cherished being taught by her parents and her father became her main instructor.  She especially enjoyed his wisdom and insight and his loving care for her, the family and Jehovah’s sheep in the congregation.   

She was taught that the beginning of wisdom starts with knowledge of our God, which was the foundation of true happiness and success.  Loving one’s neighbor started in the family by obedience to her parents, helping her brothers and sisters and preaching to others about God’s Kingdom.  It was her sheer joy to take part in all spiritual activities with her family.  She especially loved to give talks in the ministry school and go out in the ministry and copied the good examples of her brothers and sisters.

As a child growing up in Barrachs, she saw first-hand what paradise could be like, as it was a mountainous rain forest with lush greenery, flowers, waterfalls, rivers and plenty of produce, fruits and farm animals.  It was also a historic or heritage area where everyone was related, from one African tribe, the Maroons, who fought for their freedom from England and won, the first to do so.

From infancy Sheila also learnt about her multi-racial family, social injustices and that human oppression was un-Godly and a device used by God’s enemy Satan to divide people to his own end.  Sheila loved to learn history and geography from her father.  She developed a keen sense of God’s purpose to unite all of mankind and was determined to continue learning more and loving all her neighbors throughout the world.  She was especially interested in humanity and wanted to learn about all cultures and races.

She began her education as soon as she could speak with basic school and elementary school. When she was five years old, her family moved to Kingston, where she attended Mountain View primary school. When she was 11, her family migrated to the USA and Sheila continued her education.   Right away, her health suffered more as a cyst developed and she had her first surgery at age 11.  It was not cancerous, but a warning to keep watching.  Yet, Sheila recovered and continued in her service and schooling.

She dedicated her life to Jehovah at 14 ? years of age in New York and continued her service to Jehovah.  Her love of people and especially children, prompted her to also think about becoming a pediatric doctor, since from infancy her own mother, her little sister, Lorna, and other brothers and sisters also suffered from asthma.  

 

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Sheila wanted to help people in any way she could.  She especially appreciated friendships, as she often related that God’s promise to bless mankind was based on a friendship with his beloved servant, Abraham.  She was also quick to realize and pronounced that Christianity was based on the resurrection hope, through Jesus Christ, and without that hope, mankind would be lost.

Sheila grew into a beautiful young lady and was a good example to all her peers.  While possessing such physical beauty, she was humble.  She turned down many offers to become a model, a beauty queen, even and being part of this world.  Instead, she travelled the world and made many friends and got to know her relatives living in England and Canada, whom she loved very, very much and who were her close extended family. 

Sheila loved the arts, movie filming, photography, music and fashion.    She also loved colors, fine jewelry and French perfumes.  She was also a good cook and her favorite cuisine was Italian.  She made the best lasagnas and pastas.  Her favorite place to spend time was at the beach and her favorite places were London, Hawaii and Mexico, with it’s rich Mayan history

Sheila also wanted to become a mother herself, having many children like her parents.  When illness up-ended her studies and goals, Sheila was not put off.  She fought on, surgery after surgery, a total of six to remove cysts.  She never complained but continued steadfast.  During this time Sheila’s father suddenly passed away.  She was crushed but did not give up and was more determined to reach her goals.

While working as an executive assistant and office manager in New York, she decided to take a medical leave and returned home to Ocala, Florida, to her family home to help take care of her widowed mother.  She became a full-time pioneer in her beloved Silver Springs Shores congregation and continued her education to become a nurse.  There she met and married Neptune Simon with his young son, Matthew Simon, in 1996?.   Soon after, she became pregnant and gave birth to her first, child, her daughter, Xiomara Simon.  With her husband and sister, Carol, by her side, she exclaimed!  It’s a spiritual experience and thanked, Jehovah, even more.  Her greatest dream came true, to have a child.

Sheila continued to live and raise her family and work hard to help support them all.   While she enjoyed life, she always thought cancer would overtake her and started to make preparation for this.  She ways always hopeful, but very realistic.

Sheila loved her God, Jehovah, and all people.  She never looked down on anyone, regardless of their race or station in life.  Jesus died for all mankind.  Love of neighbor was always her second priority.  She was devoted to mother and her brothers and sister, always pining after those who left off serving Jehovah.  Her nephews became her special friends, especially Cameron, Delano and Winslowe, with whom she grew up. 

Sadly, illness continued to plague her even after marriage in Florida.  She was still cystic as she searched for the best medical care.  When her marriage ended, she returned to New York, still worked and continued in her studies to now become a teacher so she could provide for herself and her two children.

With support from her mother, brothers and sisters, she was able to fulfill most of her goals, until a tumor in her pancreas developed in 2018, for which she underwent treatment.   In October 2019, it was

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diagnosed as cancerous.  Sheila started chemotherapy in December of 2019, and Sheila finally passed away at her family home in Ocala, Florida, while in hospice care on Friday, October 9, 2020.   She was cared for by nurses, her sister Lorna, her children, Xiomara and Matthew and her mother, Olive.

Her family was heartbroken and so sad for her.  They all cried out in unison and spoke of her strength for the last two weeks.  Each night, her sister, Lorna would read the bible to her, sing with her and pray with her. The same was done just a couple hours before she expired.  She will be greatly missed by all.

Sheila leaves behind her beloved children, Matthew and Xiomara Simon, her beloved mother, Olive Osborne, her brothers Roy, Daswell, Tyrone, Edson, Anton and Mark, (brother Fitzi passed Oct., 2019); Sisters Jean, Carol, Pauline and Lorna.  Her beloved nephews Delano and Winslowe Ogbourne, Cameron, Anton, Jr., and Nicholas Osborne.  Her nieces, Michele Carney, Theresa Ogbourne, Esther Marcus, Christine Johnson and Diane Osborne.   Little Mia Osborne, Zuri and Zia Johnson, who brought her so much happiness towards the end.  Cousins Randolph and June and their niece Rachael Stewart, in London.  Cousins, Dahlia and Queenie White, and Aunt Brenda, Uncle Lennox, and wife, Sare Sare, Cousin Marie, Cornell in Canada and all her other nieces, nephews and cousins and friends Sandy, Suzy and Jackie, Lystra and Sis., Bunny.

The Simon Family, The Osborne Family, The Marcus family, The  Ogbourne family and The Johnson Family would like to thank all their dear children, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts and cousins and all of Sheila’s friends and well-wishers for all the love, support and assistance in listening to and caring for Sheila during her illness. 

They also send a very special thank you to the elders and all the brothers and sisters in Silver Springs Shores congregation who provided extra protection for her in her illness.  All those who cooked, cleaned and drove her to the hospital for chemotherapy treatments, especially in this COVID-19 pandemic.  The same thank you to all her brothers and friends in all the other congregations in Florida and New York who were instrumental in encouraging her, always, during her difficult times.

Sheila will be laid to rest by burial on Sunday, November 1, 2020, at Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services, Ocala, Florida.

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