It’s just been a few hours since our beloved Sheila left us here on this crazy planet.
What a force of nature she was.
Whip Smart.
Insightful and provocative – a deep thinker who loved her family & friends; art, literature & cinema with a passion.
Hostess with the Mostess.
Collector of books and fab items gathered from swap meets and garage/estate sales from Marin City to the Rose Bowl.
Always discerning and playful in those curated choices.
Her many houses were always ‘homes’ filled with spirit and artifacts that sparked distinctive energy.
Champion of so many indie artists – especially Carl et moi!
Mother to her three fabulous daughters & a couple of us who were treated with such motherly love too.
I know Suzanne & I were amongst the lucky ones who really got to have that deep & meaningful experience even though we were not really related by blood.
But we were related by heart & soul from the moment we met.
Ben told that great story of how he & Don (in their inimitable way) hooked Sheila & Charles Champlin up for her 90th B’Day book. The rest is history!
Oddly enough – just about 5-10 minutes before Eden called me this evening I picked up a Pacific Sun for the first time in eons.
Cosmic or what?
My heart goes out to you Herman, Eden, Ann & Caitlin.
Such a stunning shock.
At the same time – you gotta so love that Sheila did not linger in some long tragic way.
Homegirl knew how to make an exit!
A life so beautifully lived – full of love, adventure, a fab family & the lasting love of her life with Herman. It really did seem like she would be with us forever.
I am just one of the luckiest people who really got to have a deep & meaningful relationship with one of the most interesting & soulful women who graced this planet.
I will forever cherish our bond – as I know all of you will do too.
She had a major impact on my life & Carl’s life too. Her choice to take “One False Move” as her movie pic onto the Floating Film Festival in 1990 (or so??) changed the course of both our lives. We would have never had the exposure and subsequent theatrical release our our film had Sheila not chosen our film to take onto that film festival. (She always had excellent taste!)
Just last week I put this photo in my photo file – Sheila looked pretty much the same from the day I met her til I last actually ’saw’ her at last year’s 90th B’Day Zoom. She will always be in my heart.
And like Ben said – she was a whole lotta fun too!
Herman, Ann, Eden & Caitlin – I love you all and even though I know you are all now quite devastated I also know that you are all filled with the fierce love of Sheila and that you will be there for one another and be strengthened by the love she sent to you every day.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you manage things in this next period of time.
I am happy to help in any way.
I can help with anything you need to put together a Celebration of a Life Well Lived!
Love you all, Jesse
Sheila Benson 