In Loving Memory of Sheila Kay Hartley
August 21, 1947 – June 17, 2025 

With heavy hearts and deep love, we say goodbye to Sheila Kay Hartley, who passed away peacefully on June 17, 2025, in Boise, Idaho. Born on August 21, 1947, in Laramie, Wyoming, to Beryl Merny Hopkins Sr. and Martha Irene Soloman Hopkins, Sheila was the seventh of eight children — a place that shaped her with the warmth of big-family bonds, life-long stories, and a resilient heart. 

She met and married the love of her life, Rodger Hartley, and together they built a home where creativity, laughter, and love always came first. Their greatest joy was their daughter, Tiffany, whom Sheila cherished beyond words. 

To those who knew her, Sheila was more than a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother — she was a beacon of compassion and warmth. Whether through a knowing smile, a gentle touch, or the stories she told around the kitchen table, she left fingerprints of kindness on every soul she met. 

Her passions were simple and rich: she lovingly crafted quilts and porcelain dolls for her grandchildren, family, and friends — heirlooms stitched with care and affection. Her home was a warm and whimsical haven, adorned with a proud collection of teddy bears that reflected the childlike joy she carried with her. When her hands weren’t busy creating, they were following the latest drama on Days of Our Lives, conquering levels of Candy Crush like a pixelated gladiator, checking on her Farmville animals — making sure the cows were fed, the pigs were happy, and the crops were harvested on time, or sipping her beloved Diet Coke — always with a backup electronic game tucked in her purse, ready for action. 

Sheila is survived by her husband, Rodger Hartley; daughter, Tiffany Eckerle (Robert); granddaughter, Audrie Eckerle; grandson, Scott Eckerle (Lexi); and great-granddaughters, Shelbie Yanskey (daughter of Audrie), Lyric Lacer, and Hazel Eckerle (daughters of Scott and Lexi). She also leaves behind her beloved sister, Anita Martin (John); brother-in-law, Larry Hicks (Linda); sister-in-law, Linda Hopkins (Beryl); and a very special furry crew: her loyal pup Schnitzel, grandpup Tinkerbell, and great-grandpups Teddie Boo and Willow. Sheila’s love lives on through her many nieces, nephews, and extended family. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Beryl and Martha Hopkins; brothers, Harvey Hopkins and Beryl Hopkins Jr.; and sisters, Donna Odell, Myrna Virgillio, Norma Mustain, and Linda Hicks. She also held dear the memory of her beloved niece, Shelly Hoopes. 

Though her voice is now silent, her song lives on — in the quilts that still keep us warm, the laughter she inspired, and the love that continues to ripple through all who knew her. And surely, Heaven grew a little louder the day Sheila arrived — reunited with her beloved sister Linda and her cherished niece Shelly in a celebration fit for their bond. We can almost hear Grandma softly scolding, “Now girls, behave,” as she lovingly reeled them back in.
 She lives on in every stitch, every giggle, and every candy crushed.