Other than my mom, there’s only one other person that has been to every important event in my life and that was Sheila. I’m talking about every single graduation, every school performance and anything related to me pursuing my dreams, Sheila was in the crowd, front and center! Sheila understood that expressing words meant a lot, but actually showing up meant even more! Besides the support that Sheila showed me, the support that Sheila showed Libra over the years was awesome to witness as well. As a kid I thought it was so dope that Sheila put Libra in a flag football league! Libra was the only girl out there and Sheila and I would be on the sidelines rooting her on!!! That same support would be there for decades to come. I’ll never forget the time when Libra’s 30th birthday was approaching and Sheila asked me to assist her in planning Libra’s birthday bash. Sheila was preparing months and months in advance! It was a sight to see how passionate she was about making this happen! This meant the world to her. I had the privilege of being Sheila’s trusty side kick and I got to witness how detailed and thorough she was with making all the phone calls, visiting different venues and speaking with all the right people in order to find the ideal location and ultimately make sure that no stone was left unturned as she presented her daughter with a 30th birthday bash to remember!
If you needed advice on a big life decision, call Sheila! If you needed to learn how to drive, call Sheila! If you’re walking down a dark alley in Compton, call Sheila! You talk about somebody having your back!!!! Sheila was the epitome of a rider!!! I don’t care what it was, if you called Sheila, a solution to your problem was on the way!!! Sheila came to my rescue so many times, she could’ve been a Marvel or DC comics super hero! “It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Sheila Beela to the rescue!!!!!”. One of my first recollections of Sheila going above and beyond to help me with something was when I was in the 3rd grade and I waited until the last minute to start working on a science project that was due soon. Libra and I brainstormed and decided it would be a cool idea to build a little neighborhood from scratch. I’m talking about streets, houses, grass, trees, businesses, and even little people. An entire mini replica of an actual neighborhood. Once Sheila caught wind of the idea, she took us to the arts and crafts store and bought every single thing that I needed to bring this idea to life. And it turned out to be a huge success! I got an A+ and it was a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Sheila had that infectious energy that lit up a room instantly! She loved to laugh and just have a good ol’ time. Her laugh was the best too! Sheila was the life of the party for sure. Even at kids birthday parties she’d be having more fun than the kids. Wearing birthday hats and funny glasses with cake icing on her face. Speaking of birthdays, I’m sure going to miss her hilarious phone calls when she would display her smooth vocals and sing Happy Birthday to me like she was Anita Baker or somebody! On birthdays or Mother’s Day, it brought a smile to my face to treat Sheila to events that I knew she’d enjoy! She had a ball at the Motown musical!!! She fell in love with the movie Black Panther!!! But the fondest memory I shared with Sheila was taking her to see Prince in concert at the Forum!!!! I always knew she was a huge Prince fan. I remember when I was about 13, Sheila had a life sized cardboard cutout of Prince just standing in the living room. All 4 foot 5 of him. So when I had the opportunity to purchase some really good seats at a Prince concert, I jumped on it!!!! And Sheila was like a kid on Christmas!!! Dancing and singing every single word to every song!!! Hollering and screaming!!! Prince had to tell her to calm down and stop throwing her undergarments on the stage!!! :)
Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had Phil Jackson. I had Sheila Beela! You talk about someone who just knew how to inspire. Sheila would leave me encouraging voicemails that made me feel like I could conquer the world. She just knew the right things to say and the right buttons to push that made me want to keep striving to be the best version of myself. Sometimes Sheila inspired me without even realizing it. One of our favorite TV shows we would watch together when I was little, was a show called Doogie Howser. The show was about a kid doctor! I was fascinated!!! Sheila got me hooked on the show and the next thing you know, my little 8 year old self enrolled into a medical school for kids at the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science! I just remember Sheila being so proud of me for that! She always encouraged me and believed in me no matter what I was doing! One time, when I was about 21, we went to see a play in Hollywood. It was an all black cast, also written and directed by a black playwright. Sheila loved the play so much that she immediately tracked the director down after the cast took a bow and walked off stage. A few moments later I could see Sheila from a distance talking the directors ear off for about 30 minutes. Then Sheila waives me over there and the director says to me, “Wow, your godmother could be your agent, manager and publicist all wrapped into one! According to her, you are the next big thing in show business! Here’s my card. I’d love to check you out sometime!”. And as Sheila and I were walking back to the car she says, “Now you may or may not be interested in working with this director, but he did give you his card. And you know what I always say.” She goes on to proudly repeat one of her famous quotes that she would always say to me, “It’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it!”
Hugs, kisses and I love you’s were all apart of the package when it came to Sheila. And for a little kid like me coming up, that was just what the doctor ordered. Family circumstances led Sheila to become invested in my life early on and that quickly formed into more of a mother/son type of bond that just grew and grew! Since a kid, I was always very respectful and receptive to her words. And Sheila and I simply enjoyed each other’s company. She always displayed a good sense of humor and was very insightful. And I was a little funny kid that was pretty darn smart for my age. So we were just a perfect match! She’d make the drive to South Central in her Volkswagen to pick me up. And off to North Hollywood we’d go! It always felt like a little vacation to me! There was so much warmth and love in Sheila’s household. So many delicious meals, (that I indulged in like a brotha fresh out the pen!) and oh by the way, a swimming pool in the back! I was in heaven! If I wasn’t busy playing Nintendo with Libra, I’d be chillin with Sheila watching a movie she rented from Blockbuster or watching Matlock. (Sheila would always say that the character Matlock reminded her of her dad.) The love Sheila displayed to me never wavered from a kid to an adult. And she managed to show it in many different ways. I remember when she took the initiative to produce a project for me. She called me one day, super excited and said, “Kenny, I have an idea! I want to compile all of your performances over the years and put them all on one DVD for you!!!”. I was absolutely blown away that she’d even be interested in doing such a thing because I knew how much work it was going to be. But in true Sheila fashion, the same passion she had for putting together Libras 30th birthday party, she exuded with this project for me! And a few months later, the mission was accomplished and I’m proud that I will forever have this DVD compilation that was Sheila’s brainchild and a labor of love from her to me that I will cherish forever!
I truly admired Sheila’s vast array of knowledge and how she was capable of having an intelligent conversation about seemingly any topic from sports and entertainment, to politics and social issues. She was so well versed and full of wisdom. I honestly believe that Sheila's very strong, yet fun and outgoing personality, blended with her worldly and in-depth perspective of this thing called life, would've made her a great talk show host like Oprah! I also admired how assertive she was when it was time to handle business. No non sense. Cut to the chase. And she was not playing any games! Sheila was a straight shooter that didn’t tolerate any disrespect whatsoever! While also possessing the emotional intelligence to empathize and show compassion. Overall Sheila was great with people. Especially kids! She She love the kids! I think Sheila had a great balance of being tough as nails but sweet as Now and Later candy. If you needed anything and she felt you were deserving, she would go above and beyond to make it happen for you. But if you were one of the unlucky people that made it to her bad side, you just might get cussed out! Family or not! But hey, I’ll take real over fake any day. And Sheila was definitely a REAL ONE!!!!! I really admired how thoughtful she was as well. She was always mailing people cards and letting you know she was thinking of you. She was constantly thinking of others! One day Sheila asked me if I could take her to the doctor on a day where it was going to be pouring down rain on my long drive to and from Torrance. Sheila, being the sweet lady she was, said “It’s going to rain and I also need you to wait a few hours until the procedure is done. I will give you $100 for the inconvenience.” Although I understood that Sheila was just trying to be considerate and thoughtful as usual, I said, “Sheila, never in a million years would I accept money from you to take you to the doctor. That’s what family is for! All you’ve done for me!? Say no more, I’ll be there bright and early!” She said, “Ok my love, well can I at least make you some breakfast?”. I said, “Now you’re speaking my language!!!” :) That same warmth and love Sheila showered me with as a kid visiting in North Hollywood, I’d still feel when I’d visit her in Torrance as an adult. Typically when I’d go and visit in Torrance, we’d always hang out in the living room and kitchen as we ate, laughed and watched TV all night. So I never really ventured into Sheila’s bedroom until the day she passed. And as I’m standing there crying like a baby while playing one of her favorite Prince songs for her, I tell her how much I love and appreciate her one last time, and I glance to the side and my heart was warmed to see that all this time Sheila kept an 8 x 10 picture of me by her bedside. I felt so honored that this Queen that I loved so much, thought so highly of me! It was just a heartwarming revelation and symbolic of the fact that from the very beginning until her very last day, Sheila found a way to let me know she loved me. And I’m just so proud that I was able to give Sheila her flowers while she was here and let her know how much I loved her! She had such a positive impact on so many people. And she will forever be missed!!! Until we meet again Sheila Beela, please watch over us and help guide us in the right direction!!!
I love you forever!!!!