Sheila Bayer

The family of Sheila Marie Russell Bayer of Ottawa, IL is saddened to announce her unexpected passing of natural causes on May 31, 2023 at the age of 51 years old.

Sheila will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 30 years, Steven Bayer; children: Emily Bayer (Byron McMickens) and Phillip Bayer (Alyssa Davis); brother: Dale (Kathy) Russell; sister: Tam (Sam) Stroud; as well as her cats and grandcats and numerous family and friends. She will also be dearly missed by her Tupperware sisters.

Sheila was preceded in death by her parents: Dale Russell Sr. and Frances Russell.

Sheila was born on December 14, 1971 in Streator, IL to Dale and Frances and grew up in Ottawa, IL. After attending Ottawa Township High School, Sheila began working at Dunkin Donuts where she met the love of her life and best friend, Steven. Steven and Sheila got married in 1993 and welcomed daughter, Emily, in 1994 followed by son, Phillip Edward, in 1997. Sheila was a devoted wife and mother who spent her time taking care of her family and friends. She was proud to achieve the status of Director within her 18 year long career with Tupperware where she was able to form many deep friendships with all the people she met along the way. During that time, Sheila was happy to earn a Tupperware car and a trip to Hemingway, South Carolina as well as Hawaii. She was just as proud of her position at Subway where she touched the lives of many coworkers and customers. If Sheila was not in her kitchen cooking for somebody or delivering Tupperware to her customers, she was spending time with her family. While her favorite vacation was the Gulf Coast, she was happy to go anywhere with her loved ones and she could make any place feel like Home. Sheila always loved planning new adventures, but there is no place that could have made her happier than she was in the presence of her husband and children. Family dinners and cookouts were important to her and she was always excited for the next one, which meant she spent a lot of time not only in the kitchen, but also at Kroger, where she once worked. Whether she was at Kroger or a garage sale, Sheila always loved finding a good deal. Although her days were filled by making sure everyone was taken care of, she still had time for girl’s nights and loved spending time with her friends. In her free time, she loved getting her hair and nails done at the salon, going to Bingo, or stopping by one of her children’s houses to do things like drop off dinner or help with yard work. Sheila loved everything about her apartment and could not have been more proud of Emily or Phillip for the lives they have started in their own homes. No matter what happened each day, Sheila always loved ending up at home relaxing on the couch with her cats and husband. She was a social butterfly, an adventurer, friend, sister, and the most loving wife and mother who constantly talked of her husband and children’s accomplishments in life. Sheila had a kind, generous soul that allowed her to be available to anyone in a time of need. The one thing that Sheila never forgot to bring with her was her beautiful smile that spread happiness everywhere she went.