Shelia Cargile, director of Hands & Voices Mississippi, passed away in a tragic car accident on May 28, 2017. She passed before she got to see Guide By Your Side implemented in Mississippi. I wasn’t sad for Shelia. I know where she is. I know she is with her mom. I was sad for those of us left here: John, her husband of 19 years, her children, Eli, Emily and Audrey, her twin sister Sherri, her father, and hundreds of friends. I believe the most important thoughts about Sheila belong to her husband and children. Sheila Cargile was a woman devoted to her Christian faith – as is her family. Their words will reflect this faith and aren’t intended to offend anyone.
“She was loving, always reading to us, she tried her best to make sure she was doing right, she was and is a child of the most high God, she loved to sing and was on the praise team, she was always smiling, she fought her good fight and I believe that if we fight ours we can see her again someday.”
Emily Cargile
“I love my mama because she was always loving and gentle, she was a great teacher, she loved Jesus, and she was more than just a mom. She was an amazing, fun mom that was also a great singer.”
Audrey Cargile
“Everyone has a first ‘true love.’ My Sheila/mom is my first true love. She was/is the definition of beauty and restoration. She carried herself in a more intelligent and Godly manner than 90 percent of people alive. She was fearless and discerning. She was exactly what I look for in a woman.”
Eli Cargile
“Sheila: a precious gift from God. A beautiful, remarkable wife and mother. The most diligent, sincere, genuine person I’ve ever known. Always smiling and uplifting to everyone around her. A vibrant woman who sought God in everything. She wanted the best for everyone and tried to help them achieve it. She was selfless, joyful, an absolute treasure. Having her as my wife is my greatest achievement.”
John Cargile
Shelia was fiercely loyal to and madly in love with her family. I have only known her for four years, but felt like we had been connected for a lifetime. The stories she told of her family were beaming with pride. Shelia had a way of being a cheerleader to everyone. She was always smiling. She was a natural encourager. Sheila loved. She loved people. She loved animals. You never knew where Shelia’s adventures were going to take her and her kids. One day she would be tutoring homeless kids. A few months later, she would be loving on shelter animals. She was all things to all people. She was and is a champion for the deaf and hard of hearing children in Mississippi.
Shelia was an advocate. Through her work with Hands & Voices Mississippi, she touched thousands of lives. I loved being a part of the “Shelia & Julie” that worked to get MS H&V Guide By Your Side started with the help and guidance of EHDI-M and Hands & Voices headquarters. We we’re equally obsessed. Life got in the way sometimes, but we always worked together to navigate our way through being accidental leaders. Sheila had a way of talking to you that was so empowering. When dealing with tough situations, she would exercise restraint in a beautiful way. She was sugary sweet. When you were with her- you felt like the only people in the room.
We had a song together. “More Than Fine”. Shelia wanted “More than Fine” for H&V MS (GBYS) and the families she served. She wanted “More Than Fine” for her husband and kids. Sheila will never be replaced. It will take multiple people to carry on her legacy. She was Chapter Leader, ZOHO manager, newsletter mailer, event coordinator, legislative maven, meeting and workshop attendee, constant networker, consultant for many different facets – just to name a few- joyfully all while homeschooling her three kids and prioritizing spending time with John when we had off of work. She did it all. Sheila is a giant in the faith, and a giant to her cause I, along with many others, feel like we can’t do this without her. We won’t have to carry on this work without her. She searched out, cultivated, and even equipped us with the skills we need. Many people have come forward to take over portions of what she did for MS H&V. Like a friend and Board Member Stacy DeZutter said, “We are going to honor her by carrying on her vision”.
For Shelia, H&V MS GBYS was birthed despite having to work through pain and travail. Shelia, I thank you for your friendship and I love you fiercely. Thanks to you – your family, friends, and MS H&V will be “More Than Fine”. On July 15, 2017, Hands & Voices MS Guide By Your Side posthumously honored Sheila in recognition and appreciation of her many years of distinguished service for the deaf and hard of hearing children of Mississippi with the ” More Than Fine” award presented to her husband, children, and sister.
It’s time for all who may to continue and rise up so we can be for her children and those to come what Shelia tirelessly was to ours.
“We are going to honor her by carrying on her vision,” said Sheila’s friend and Board Member, Stacy DeZutter.
Julie Seawright
Program Coordinator
Hands & Voices MS Guide By Your Side
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