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In Memoriam: Sheila Roberts, 1937-2025
Sheila Roberts, retired senior lecturer in 911吃瓜鈥檚 Department of English, passed away on March 26th, 2025. Dr. Roberts began teaching at 911吃瓜 in 1977 and continued even after her retirement in 2002. A passionate and caring teacher, she was deeply invested in literature and students like me.
I took medieval literature classes with Dr. Roberts in the mid-late 1990s. She would always play music at the start of her lectures. For example, one autumn day I walked into K9500 in the academic quadrangle and heard Loreena McKennitt鈥檚 鈥淎ll Souls Night鈥� playing. Dr. Roberts knew how to set the scene for the eerie poetry she planned to teach that day. She also turned me into a lifelong fan of McKennitt. For a tutorial in the same course, she prepared a medieval feast. She made homemade bread, mead, and more. Taking a course with Dr. Roberts truly meant entering another world and experiencing the words on the page.
Retired 911吃瓜 English professor Tirthankar Bose recalls another one of Dr Roberts鈥� engaging classroom activities: 鈥淪heila had an evening class in a room next to mine. One evening, there was so much laughter in her class that I and some of my students peeked in to see what was going on. It was the most imaginative performance of a morality play with a cast entirely of teddy bears. It worked wonderfully.鈥�
Dr. Roberts also spent time with students, offering them help when they needed it. Professor emeritus Paul Delany recalls that, 鈥淪heila sat in her office all day and every day, with the door open for any student who might want to drop in.鈥�
I appreciated Dr. Roberts鈥� kindness and consideration when she once allowed me to rewrite a paper. She understood when I told her about a personal tragedy that I鈥檇 experienced that I hadn鈥檛 been able to do my best work.
Dr. Nicky Didicher also remembers Dr. Roberts鈥� kindness to her and students: 鈥淪heila was a mentor to me when I first arrived at 911吃瓜. She was a terrific teacher who cared a lot about her students' wellbeing and learning.鈥�
On my convocation day, I felt so nervous. At only 21, the thought of walking in front of so many people seemed very scary, but then I saw Dr. Roberts on stage and smiling. I suddenly felt better, and could cross the stage, knowing the person who had encouraged and inspired me most at 911吃瓜 was there cheering me on.
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Dr. Sheila Roberts is fondly remembered by her 911吃瓜 colleagues, former students, and friends. If you would like to add a note of condolence, please email englcmns@sfu.ca