Sheila Helen Heinze

The woman with the lipstick, the poker face, and the fiercest heart you ever met.

Sheila Helen Heinze, of Cañon City, Colorado, born on April 17th 1941 in Niagara Falls,  New York and  passed away on May 25, 2025, at the age of 81. She was surrounded by the kind of love she spent her whole life giving, in her own bold and quiet ways. She leaves behind a legacy stitched together by strength, sass, and a deep love for her family—even if she didn’t always say it out loud.

Sheila was a woman of resilience and edge. A longtime employee of the prison system, she held her ground in a job most people couldn’t handle. She lived on 911 Elm Street, right across from a cemetery in the old cemetery keeper’s house, which somehow just fit her perfectly. Fierce and fearless, she once killed a spider with her bare hands and never even flinched. Who kept jewelry and a taser in the same night stand. That was Sheila. Loving just as fiercely, being there everytime you needed her. 

She had a love for bingo, poker, casino’s, and puzzles. Her statement red lipstick and perms she honestly couldn’t go anywhere without. She had a knack for keeping expired condiments just a little too long.  Just so happened to be the biggest Denver Broncos fan we had ever known. Her house may not have been spotless, but that’s because she had grandkids for that—and she always made it worth their while with cash, pizza, and her signature “grab a Pepsi or a Dew” signal that meant it was time to get to work.

To her grandchildren, Sheila was more than just a grandmother—she was thegrandmother. The one good grandparent in a life that offered too few. She made them feel seen, valued, and loved. Taught them perseverance, hard work and how to always have cookies in your cabinet.  Her walls had their pictures. Her fridge had their snacks. Her love was felt in the way she showed up—always, unapologetically, in her own stubborn way.

Sheila was 100% Scottish, and had family that loved her and she loved dearly from coast to coast. She is survived by her son David Heinze and his wife Cecelia Heinze —the daughter Sheila never had but loved with all her heart. Her grandchildren Adam, Kayla Rosequist, Alex, and Anastasia Heinze, and her great-grandchildren Maddison and Alarik. Her late brother Robert, his wife Margret, and their children Heather, Alison, and Duncan, who carry on their legacy with love. Her lifelong friend Dawna Sweeney, who stood by each-other through the decades. Her card-playing and bingo girlfriends and buddies, who meant the world to her. Even the Cripple Creek casinos that welcomed her back with open arms with free hotel stays, just for being one of their most loyal—and sharpest—players. Her name sake Sheila Helen Judd, who will club together when they meet up again. 

She was strong, stubborn, and sentimental beneath her tough exterior. She didn’t always say “I love you,” but when she did—it stayed with you. She will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever honored through stories, red lipstick, late-night card games, and the ghosts she kept company with at 911 Elm.

Rest easy, Sheila. You were one of a kind. The final piece to the puzzle. I hope the Mountain Dew tastes even better up there. 

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