Shelia Ann Holsinger

Shelia Ann Williams Holsinger of Harrisonburg passed away on March 24, 2023, at the age of 73. She was a devoted mother whose generosity of spirit seemed to touch the hearts of everyone she met. Her memory remains a cheer and a comfort to those who loved her. She was born in 1949 to Louella "June" Tusing Williams and William W. Williams. She attended Madison College, now James Madison University. There, she studied biology and met a dear friend, Cathy Byrne, who became a life-long companion and would be there to care for Shelia in her final years. She graduated in 1972 and went on to work as a lab technician with the Virginia Department of Agriculture. In 1982, she married Lee Nelson Holsinger, and her beloved daughter Julie Marie Holsinger Meyer was born. A brief two years later, Shelia lost her husband Lee to a fall from a silo in a farming accident, but she did not let tragedy define her life. She made a home full of joy and love in which to raise Julie. Together they shared decades of happiness, good health, and prosperity. They were all they needed, and as close as two people can be. In the course of time, the arc of Shelia's life described a quiet resolve to create blessings from hardship. Shelia enjoyed gardening and she cherished family gatherings with her mother, siblings, nieces, and nephews. She was close with her mother June in the way she and Julie were close. She doted endlessly on her cats, Peanut Butter and Bean, and was fond of simple pleasures like a good chocolate marshmallow ice cream. Spring was her favorite season. She could often be found sitting on her deck when the spring flowers were blooming, and she might favor one with a "thar she blows!" With her daughter Julie, Shelia got to see the world beyond Virginia. She lived it up from Prague to the Grand Canyon. Her favorite trip of all was a gift from Julie upon her retirement from the lab-no less than a first-class jaunt to Paris! "Oh, my land, Julie!" She came back with a new favorite hat and a full heart. Shelia kept her energy and pep late into her life, until finally illness set in. She suffered from a brain tumor in her final years. Little by little, the tumor grew and she receded. Through moments of strength and frailty, good humor and sorrow, she bore those days much as she'd lived her life prior-contented by the closeness of a dear friend and the love of an adoring daughter. Shelia Ann Williams Holsinger passed at the advent of her favorite season, as winter was giving way to spring in a celebration of life. She spent her parting hours with Julie at her bedside, holding her hand. Outside, the early spring flowers were beginning to bloom. Services for Shelia will be private. An online guestbook is available at www.compassionatecremationva.com Compassionate Cremation Services of Ruckersville, VA is handling the arrangements.

Shelia Ann Holsinger

November 7, 1949 - March 24, 2023