On Friday, September 4, 2020, Sheila Elaine Scharf Israel, of Palm City, Florida, loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend, died at the age of 84 years, quietly and peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones.  She was born in the Bronx, New York to Marion and Ralph Scharf, earned a degree in education from Hofstra University on Long Island, New York, and raised three amazing and independent children.  A lover of nature, Sheila enjoyed being outdoors. She traveled to numerous national parks across all 50 states and Canada always challenging her family to be the first to spot a bear, moose, elk or other wildlife. She discovered sailing to be her secret pleasure from early excursions with her young sons to life-fulfilling adventures with her daughter and Captain-in-law. Sheila always had dogs in her life, having as many as four furry members of the family at any point in time, while leaving behind Maggie, her loved Bichon.  We will cherish these memories, but also the quiet evenings spent with her, watching sports, truly any kind of sports but with a love for baseball, football and hockey, often with the sound muted, working through her latest book or word search, all the while keeping track of the game. She was a great friend to many, using card games, coffee klatches and meals as ways to get together. She showered all of us with so much love - always remembering the small things, like setting out your favorite flowers when you were visiting or sending a card for every birthday and holiday– just to let you know she was hoping you were having a great day. Sheila was preceded in death by her loving husband, Stanley, her sister, Frankie, and so many other members of the family (who just happened to be her canine companions).  She will forever be in our hearts, but  will be sorely missed by those who survived her including her beloved three children and their spouses Rodger and Gretchen, Bruce and Kerry, and Marilyn and Randy, and five grandchildren, Benjamin, Matthew, Rebecca, Aaron, and Sarah.  She will be interned at Forest Hills Memorial Park in Palm City, Florida. In her memory, we suggest donations to one of the following:

Friends of Jasper at https://www.friendsofjasper.com/ca/donate/ ,

National Parks Conservatory at https://secure.npca.org/site/Donation2

or the Sierra Club at https://www.sierraclub.org/ways-to-give#donate-maintab .