Mrs. Sheila Ann (Rivers) Shelton

February 10, 1971 - May 10, 2020

UTICA - Mrs. Sheila Ann (Rivers) Shelton, age 49, went home to the Lord when she passed away on Sunday, May 10, 2020 in the arms of her loving husband, after a courageous battle. Born in Utica on February 10, 1971, Sheila was the daughter of the late Edward “Steve” Jr. and SueAnn (Evans) Stevens. Raised and educated locally, she attended John F. Kennedy High School and continued her studies at the Utica School of Commerce. While working, she earned a degree in Business Administration through the University of Phoenix. Sheila adored her best friend and he was the love of her life, David Shelton, and on August 23, 2001 their hearts became one. They were later blessed with a son DaCoy, who was a marvelous addition to their lives. Sheila worked at Faxton Hospital as a Certified Nursing Assistant and later at the AFSA Data Corporation where she was a lead person. Lastly, she was employed by the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation as a Supervisor. She was well qualified to carry out her responsibility to coordinate and oversee daily operations of the bank branch and motivate employees to meet the company goals and guidelines. Sheila had smiling eyes that animated her well-spoken words, and she maintained a balance between socializing and seeing to the serious things in life. She loved her mom from her heart and she clasped her hand as she crossed over. As a mom, Sheila was old-school when it came to raising her son, and her husband was so proud of all her efforts. She had an inquiring mind and a determination to enhance her knowledge and apply it to her daily life. She was related to 3/4 of Utica, and at her family homestead the backyard and streets would overflow during any of their many memorable gatherings. You can envision the music playing and Sheila dancing along with all the newest dance moves. She loved being together with her family and she would never have traded any of these moments because she was always so aware of who she was. She was a fan of the Gilmore Girls, and was outstanding at preparing food and putting her own spin on the recipes. She had an aspiration and dream of preparing African American cuisine and making “plates” available for people to savor with her soul food. Sheila was a member of the Kingdom Harvest Apostolic Church in Rome. She was a true believer and was grateful for the guidance of her faith. Sheila is survived by her loving husband, David; her adored son, DaCoy Shelton. She is also survived by David’s children that were her step-children; siblings, Vincent Harris, and Christine and Christopher Gooch; and half-siblings Adrian, Rivera, and Bethany; and a host of aunts and uncles, especially her Aunt Juanita, Aunt Dot, Uncle Ransom, Aunt Rosetta, and Uncle Archie; nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, in-laws, and a multitude of friends. She was predeceased by her Uncle Sam Sr. The family is grateful to Dr. Daniel Goodman, and Dr. Najam Ud Din; the staff of the Faxton Regional Cancer Center; the doctors and nurses at Strong Memorial Hospital; and her “everyday people” who were her main support and gave endless acts of kindness through these difficult times, Andrea and David Shaw. The family also extends thanks and appreciation for the spiritual guidance and faith of Pastor Elder James Richardson, Sr. and First Lady Betty Richardson who are also DaCoy’s godparents. Due to current health concerns and in keeping with federal and state regulations, Sheila’s family will honor her life privately. Please take a moment to connect with Sheila’s family through the “Memories” section of her obituary on our website. Our prayers continue to go out to all as a sign of our community support.