Sheila Barkat

February 17, 1929 - March 26, 2020 Attempting to smuggle a large paring knife onto a flight from Pakistan to India she was quickly surrounded by armed guards with machine guns. It was, she argued forcibly, necessary to cut the guava she was traveling with. The guards, perplexed and perhaps a bit amused, relented and let her carry it on the plane. Born in 1929 in Punjab, India, Sheila Barkat was a woman with backbone and priorities; she was never one to let the possibility of imprisonment come between her and any fresh fruit be it oranges or mangos. Despite being a registered nurse and a woman of deep faith, her vices extended beyond fruit to all manner of desserts from American cherry pie to Indian jalebi. In 1959 Sheila came to the U.S. to live in Tennessee. Before settling in Knoxville she arrived in Chattanooga, where she was received with a police-escorted parade in her honor by students and faculty of Tennessee Temple University, which appropriately closed the school so that students could welcome her at the airport. When asked what she thought of the reception she expressed that she was mildly disappointed, as she had hoped the crowds meant that Elvis was nearby. Subsequently, she moved to Briarcliff Manor and then Yorktown Heights, NY where she raised two sons. But her priority during the last two decades focused on her 5 grandchildren, who she quite correctly recognized were above average in every way. In later years she split time between New York and Florida, which worked for her because she loved to travel whether local or international. Sheila had the rare privilege of being married to her best friend and travel partner, whom she often teased were a couple whose love story would be told for generations. Teasing was a gift as she was ever the wit, always with a twinkle in her eye and quick to laugh. This was matched only by her generous and selfless spirit and unconditional acceptance of those whose path crossed hers in life. Elegant and fashionable, she looked decades below her age, and for years she refused to reveal the secret to her youth and beauty. However a few days after her 91st birthday she shared her secret; she was deeply loved, and she loved deeply. She was laid to rest at Dale Cemetery in Ossining, NY on June 18th, 2020. A memorial service and celebration of her life for family and friends will be held on November 20, 2021 at 12:00 p.m., at Ridgeway Alliance Church in White Plains, NY and will also be live-streamed at www.ridgewaychurch.com. Reflections and recollections can be shared at: https://www.degusipefuneralhome.com/obituaries/Sheila-Barkat/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------