Sheila McCarthy Higgins, of Vero Beach, FL, passed away peacefully on July 3, 2026 at the age of 91.

Sheila was born in Boston on February 16, 1935, the first child of Thomas and Dorothy McCarthy. She had one brother Kevin, seven years her junior. Her father Thomas was an officer in the Army, who was stationed in Hawaii during Sheila’s pre-teen and early teenage years. The family spent four years on Oahu.

Tragically, Sheila and Kevin lost their father at the young ages of 14 and 7, respectively.

Sheila attended Newton College of the Sacred Heart (now part of Boston College) and graduated in 1956. There she developed many close friendships that she would maintain throughout her long life. She and her husband Jack were married the day after Christmas in 1957. They honeymooned in Acapulco and Mexico City. They started their family soon after.

Their first family home was in Rowley, MA. As the family grew, they moved to Weston, MA, where Sheila spent more than 30 years. Sadly, Jack passed in 1988. Sheila stayed in her home in Weston until the late 90’s, when she moved to Annisquam, MA, and began spending her winters in Vero Beach, FL.

Sheila had a spirit of adventure and exploration. She spent her junior year in college in Madrid. On a return visit to Spain with Jack, the two were inspired to start a business importing woven esparto rugs, and they delighted in sharing these artisan crafts back home.

Sheila had a bold, exciting sense of style. Her traditional farmhouse was transformed by modern and vibrant furniture and fixtures, and exuberant designer Emilio Pucci fabrics, and it was featured on the cover of American Home Magazine in 1970.

While an energetic mother of five young children, Sheila’s boundless energy also saw her try different careers, among them Spanish teacher at the Pingree School, and realtor. She later invested a number of years in the family business. As a supplier for the travel industry, the business allowed Sheila and Jack to continue their love of travel via a number of exciting international trips.

Sheila loved meeting new people and had friends from all over the world. She and Jack both valued education highly and encouraged her children to explore and learn through the many new and unique adventures they enjoyed together, traveling near and far. As if raising 5 children of their own wasn’t enough, Sheila and Jack hosted other children from the local area and from other countries for extended homestays.

Sheila always raised her hand at volunteer opportunities that could make life better for those that didn’t have some of her family’s advantages. She was passionate about art and art history throughout her long life. She worked as a volunteer at the DeCordova Museum in nearby Lincoln, MA, where she quickly became an essential resource. Later she became a docent for the Harvard Art Museums, where she delighted in guiding visitors through the treasures that filled the many galleries. The walls of her home were adorned with an ever-growing collection of paintings. In her later years, she would be filled with joy by museum visits, and she would relive the memory of the visits by thumbing through the exhibit books so often the spines would become threadbare.

A devoted mother, she and Jack strove tirelessly to give their five children the best of everything. Sheila is survived by her many loving children: Rob (Christy) of Orinda, CA; Chris (Martha) of Vero Beach, FL; Peter (Bonnie) of Lincoln, MA; Hollis of Quincy, MA, and Colin of San Francisco, CA. And her eight grandchildren: Marleigh (Gabe), Ryan (Maite), Jack, Maddie, Sam Harry (Alex), Liam, and Abby. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Jack. Her final resting place will be beside Jack at Linden Cemetery in Weston.

Sheila was much loved and will be deeply missed.