Mary Sheila Boyd

Mary Sheila (Dooney) Boyd, Hillsboro resident, died on June 2, 2025. She was 79 years old. She was born in Portland, Oregon to Jack and Mary Claire (Curtin) Dooney and was the oldest of eight brothers and sisters (Michael-deceased, Patrick, John, Maureen, Kathleen, Marron and Brian)

A devout Catholic, she attended St. Stephens grade school and St. Mary of the Valley High School in Beaverton, OR, class of 1964. She was bright, funny, an avid reader and crossword puzzle solver and was the first in her family to attend Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA.

Upon completion of her sophomore year at Gonzaga, she married and continued to live in Spokane. She was a wonderfully, loving Mother and had two boys (Sean Christopher and Jason Damian (Andrea), who were the light of her life and the family moved to Sacramento, California, her husband’s hometown. She completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree while attending Sacramento State and also worked full time at the University.

She continued to live in Sacramento for a few years, but having stayed close to her family in Oregon, she eventually moved back to Oregon and received her Masters Degree of Science, Education: (Severe and Profoundly Handicapped) at Portland State University. She then started her lengthy career as a Special Education Teacher/Coordinator and worked at Forest Grove High School and in Lincoln County, Oregon, and finally at Multnomah County CSD at Centennial High School in Portland. She was an exceptional advocate and teacher who considered her work as far more than a job and always treated her coworkers and her students with dignity.

After lengthy and challenging work with Special Education, she retired to live in Hillsboro, Oregon. Sheila was a strong and witty individual who worked hard all her life. She was always well read and interested in people. She remains an influential and well-loved mother, grandmother, older sister, aunt and friend. She relished the time she spent with her sons and their families (Payton, Connor and Keeley) and with her siblings and in laws. 

We will all miss her until we see her again. 

God bless Sheila!