Sheila Ann (Harkenrider) Day

Sheila Ann (Harkenrider) Day

HORNELL – Sheila Ann (Harkenrider) Day, 75, of Hornell passed away Friday morning (Dec 30, 2022), surrounded by her family, at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY, after a brief illness.

Born in Hornell on June 16, 1947, she was a daughter of the late Robert and Jessie (McKinley) Harkenrider. On Aug. 19, 1972, she married the love of her life and best friend, Jeremiah “Jerry” Day at St. Ann’s Church in Hornell, and together they had three children. Besides her parents, Sheila was predeceased by two brothers, Robert and Richard Harkenrider; three brothers-in-law, Philip Palmesano, Jesse Scott, and James Day; one sister-in-law, Elizabeth “Liz” Day; three nieces, Teresa Palmesano Andreano, Loretta Scott Beck, and Alicia Harkenrider; and two nephews, Randy Harkenrider and Johnny Day.

Sheila graduated from Hornell High School in 1965 and then attended the Continental Beauty School in Rochester, NY. She was self employed at Capri Hair Fashions in Hornell until the birth of her children at which time she became a stay-at-home mom. When her children became school age, she went into retail and was employed at the Hornell Kmart until its closing in 1998. Following that, she went to work at Steuben Trust Company until her retirement in 2009.

Sheila was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a devoted communicant of St. Ann’s Church in Hornell. Sheila was a strong woman and an extremely devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. Her grandchildren brought so much joy to her life. She loved spending time with her husband and family attending the grandchildren’s school and sporting events as well as dance competitions. Sheila was so proud of her grandchildren.

She is lovingly survived by her husband of 50 years Jerry; three children, Robert (Jill) Day of Rochester, NY, Shannon (Sean) Smith of Arkport, NY and Kevin Day of Hornell; nine grandchildren, Alexandria, Gracie, and Brennan Day, Guilianna, Zachariah, Conor, Carson and Avry Smith, and Julian Day; two sisters Mary “Patsy” Scott of North Carolina and Joanne Palmesano of Hornell; one brother, Terry Harkenrider of Hornell; two brothers-in-law, Joe Day of Hornell and Jack Day of Canandaigua, NY; and several nieces and nephews.

Sheila and her family will always be eternally grateful to the family that had to lose a loved one so that she may live. Nine and a half years ago, Sheila received an organ transplant that gave her a second chance at life. There is no greater gift given than the “gift of life”. God bless the organ donor and their family.

Calling hours are 4-7 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 5, 2023) at the Bishop-Johnson & DeSanto Funeral Home, 285 Main St., Hornell. Relatives and friends are invited to join her family at St. Ann’s Church, 31 Erie Ave., Hornell where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday (Jan. 6, 2023). Committal prayers and interment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Town of Fremont.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing may contribute in her memory to the Strong Memorial Hospital Solid Organ Transplant Department, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, NY 14642 or the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 10727, Rochester, NY 14610. Envelopes for memorial contributions will be available at the funeral home.

The Bishop-Johnson & DeSanto Funeral Home is honored to assist Sheila’s family with the arrangements.

Online condolences or remembrances of Sheila are welcome below in the comment section or on the Facebook page of Bishop-Johnson & DeSanto Funeral Home.

 

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