May 16, 1944 – March 18, 2026
Sheila Denney Galindo, born May 16, 1944, in Wrangell, Alaska, passed away on March 18, 2026, at the age of 81, in San Juan Bautista, California. She leaves behind a life well lived, filled with family, friends, and memories that will be cherished for years to come.
Sheila was many things to many people: a successful small business owner, a talented seamstress, a devoted mother, and a beloved friend. Her creative gifts were remarkable, ranging from exquisite quilts to her phenomenal Barbie period costumes, and everything in between. If fabric was involved, Sheila could make something beautiful out of it.
For 25 years, Sheila served as a livestock clerk at the San Benito County Fair alongside her husband, Edward, and in all those years, the two of them never missed a single fair. She was a Chairman of the Fair’s Clothing and Textiles division for many years, generously mentoring others who followed in her footsteps. Each year, she donated a handmade quilt for the Fair’s Kick-off Dinner auction, a tradition that reflected her spirit of giving.
Sheila was a founding member of the Pinnacle Quilters Guild, helping to bring the organization into being twenty-two years ago. She was instrumental in establishing Tribute to Heroes, formerly known as Quilts of Honor, at the San Benito County Fair, crafting a beautiful patriotic quilt for the program each year. Her leadership of the Block of the Month program, first at Homespun Harbor and then at Family Threads Quilt Shop, became a mainstay of the quilting community for over 25 years. She was, in every sense, a prolific sewist whose many fair entries will be deeply missed.
When she wasn’t quilting or contributing to her community, Sheila loved to travel and had a particular fondness for cruising, exploring the world with the same enthusiasm she brought to everything else.
Sheila was preceded in death by her husband, Edward Galindo, and her sons Stephen Camm and Christopher Galindo. She is survived by her children, Jeffrey (Rosalind) Galindo, Jaimie (Alex) Conrath, Jennifer (Dennis) Galindo-Cole and Timothy Galindo; her sister, Sheron (Robert) Horseman; her stepsister Rosie Huntemann and her beloved grandchildren Christopher and David Conrath and Katrina and Meaghan Galindo, along with her great grandchildren and many dear friends throughout the community.
May she rest in the peace she so richly earned through a lifetime of love, creativity, and service to others.