Sheila M. Fortunata
“The best wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother”
TEWKSBURY: Sheila M. (Desmond) Fortunata, age 81, a resident of Tewksbury for 58 years and communicant of St. William’s Parish, passed away at Lowell General Hospital on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, following an extended illness.
She was the beloved wife of Felix A. Fortunata with whom she celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary on September 30, 2021.
Born in Winchester on July 6, 1940, she was the daughter of the late Daniel J. Desmond and the late Helen (Terrill) Desmond.
Sheila was raised in Reading, where she attended local schools and graduated from Reading High School.
A short time after their wedding, she and her husband moved to Tewksbury where they raised their six children.
She enjoyed cooking, traveling with her husband on cruises and trips to Florida, as well as vacationing in their motorhome.
In addition to her husband, Sheila is survived by six children, Maureen Tempesta and her husband Daniel, of Tewksbury, Mary C. Fortunata, of Tewksbury, Monica L. Tiner and her husband Kevin, of Hampstead, NH, Melissa M. Felix, of Lake Worth, FL, Michele T. Pondelli and her husband James, of Tewksbury and Felix A. Fortunata, Jr. and his wife Michelle, of Hampstead, NH: fourteen grandchildren, Michelle Tempesta and her partner Zachary Gale, Lindsay Fortunata, Nicolette Keefe and her husband Daniel, Daniel Tiner and his partner Jackie Cone, Jillian Tiner, Dustin Fortunata, Roy Felix and his fiancé Maribel Escobar, Joseph Felix and his fiancé Allison Capone, Mia Rose and her husband Nicholas, Gianna Pondelli, U.S. Navy ITSN, James Pondelli, Nikolas Fortunata, Hayden Fortunata and his partner Caitlin Lane and Owen Fortunata: four great grandchildren, Ava and Daniel Grant, Penelope Felix and Josephine Rose: two brothers, Terence Desmond, and Michael Desmond and his wife Ann. She leaves many nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
Sheila was the sister of the late Joan King, James, Kevin, Dermot, Brian, and Gael Desmond.
We would like to thank Lori Parent, Paula MacAllister and Beverly Binkowski for the time and love they gave to our mother.
Calling hours are Monday, December 27, from 4-8 p.m.at the Farmer & Dee Funeral Home, 16 Lee Street, Tewksbury. Her funeral procession will begin on Tuesday, December 28, at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home, followed by her Funeral Mass at 11:30 a.m. at St. William’s Church, 1351 Main St., Rte. 38, Tewksbury. Interment will be after cremation. Kindly Omit Flowers. Donations in her memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116, www.diabetes.org, the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 78516, Topeka, Kansas 66675, www.woundedwarriorproject.org, or to the Tewksbury Community Pantry, 999 Whipple Road, Tewksbury, MA 01876.