Sheela Gamadia's Obituary
Psalm 23:1-3
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.”
Satyasheela “Sheela” Rathod Gamadia, passed away peacefully on October 13, 2025, after a difficult battle with Parkinson’s disease.
A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, Sheela lived a life of faith and service. She was born in Jabalpur, India, to parents Raiji and Yerusha Rathod, and was the second of five children. After graduating from St. Xavier’s College in 1968, she traveled to the United States to further her education after receiving a full scholarship to attend Texas Women’s University (TWU). She arrived in the States with a small suitcase and just $25 in her wallet. Her first stateside shopping trip was to purchase makeup, a reflection of her lifelong love of style. In 1971, Sheela earned a Master of Science in chemistry, with honors, from TWU.
Sheela married her childhood family friend, Noel, in 1973. They shared 53 years of marriage together, welcoming two children, Amee and Mark. In addition to raising a family, Sheela worked for LabCorp at Medical City Dallas Hospital for more than 30 years. Always active, she spent many of her lunch breaks walking around the hospital to get in her daily steps. Her Christian faith was central to her life, and she was very involved in her church community, regularly attending Sunday School and participating in women’s Bible studies.
Sheela was an amazing cook and hostess who spent countless hours in the kitchen. She could prepare Indian food like no other, and everyone who entered her home never left hungry. Sheela loved fashion and one of her favorite pastimes was to scour the racks at Ross to discover the best finds. She enjoyed daily walks around her neighborhood as well as gardening, and loved flowers and all things peacock. Over the years, Sheela accumulated quite the peacock-themed collection spanning from home décor to clothing, scarves and jewelry. She eventually told her family, “No more peacocks!”
Sheela is survived by her devoted husband, Noel Gamadia; daughter Amee and son-in-law Daniel McGough; grandchildren Mason, Keeran and Emeree; son Mark Gamadia and daughter-in-law Seulgi Ko; and grandson Aiden. In addition, she is survived by her loving siblings: Samuel and wife Ella, Stephen and wife Lee, Satish and wife Shaku, Saroj Christian and husband Soloman; brother-in-law Linus Gamadia and wife Orpah; and by her mother-in-law, Suman Gamadia. Finally, she is survived by many wonderful nieces and nephews, whom she loved dearly.
The family is grateful for the love, prayers and support from many friends and loved ones near and far. Sheela will be forever missed and remembered by all who knew and loved her. We are thankful she is now at peace in the loving arms of her Savior.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson's Foundation.
The family wishes to extend heartfelt appreciation to Simran “Sweety” Gamadia for the wonderful care she provided to Sheela throughout her illness, to Dr. Jennifer Edwards, Sheela’s primary care physician, for her compassion and guidance and to the team at Highland Meadows Health and Rehab and Trinity Hospice for their kindness during Sheela’s final days. To all, we are forever grateful.
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