Sheila was of the Baptist faith and was a member of McRoberts Old Regular Baptist Church.
A proud Appalachian, Sheila graduated from Fleming-Neon High School in 1970 and later attended Morehead State University. She built a successful career marked by determination, hard work, and professional excellence. Sheila worked for BellSouth Telephone Company and was the first woman to pass the lineman test in Kentucky. She then entered the insurance industry, where she initially worked for Lincoln Income. She later joined Kentucky Farm Bureau as an agent in the Knott County office, where her talent, dedication, and leadership quickly earned her advancement to Agency Manager in Pike County.
Sheila excelled in her profession and was named Agency Manager of the Year multiple times. After more than 30 years in the insurance industry, she retired to South Carolina, where she began an exciting new chapter. She settled in North Myrtle Beach. Never
one to sit still for long, she opened two retail businesses, Two Blondes on the Beach and Two Blondes and a Moon Child. She became an active member of the North Myrtle Beach community, participating in the Ocean Drive Shag Club and supporting charitable causes close to her heart, particularly Camp Chemo and Toys for Tots.
Sheila, or “Sunshine” as her friends often called her, loved to travel, embrace new adventures, and make the most of every opportunity life offered.
Independent and determined, Sheila never forgot, during her younger years, being told that she would never be able to own property. Rather than accepting that prediction, she turned it into motivation. In time, she became the proud owner of several properties, including multiple beach houses and a home in the mountains. She proved that determination, hard work, and a belief in oneself can take a person far beyond the limits others might place upon them.
Sheila was one of the founding members of the very exclusive Payne Gap Flying Eagles Club, an organization made up of family members and close friends. Membership came with its own history, inside jokes, and countless stories, creating memories that will continue to be cherished by the remaining Flying Eagles.
Sheila leaves behind two daughters, Kelly Wright and Miranda Wright; her granddaughter, Charley Jane Epling; and her two great-grandsons, Phoenix and Lucas, all of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She is also survived by her sister, Glenna Matney of Brandenburg, Kentucky; along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and many dear friends and loved ones who will cherish her memory.
Sheila was preceded in death by her parents, James and Leona Craft Wright; her four sisters, Jimmie Kay Adkins, Margaret Adams, Jane Bright, and Polly Bittrich; and her three brothers, Thomas Wright, Jesse Wright, and John Wright.
Sheila may have retired to North Myrtle Beach, but her heart never left the mountains of Appalachia. She leaves behind a legacy of determination, independence, love, laughter, and a life lived on her own terms. She will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and loving her.
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