Sheila Helen Huckaby's Obituary
Sheila Helen (White) Huckaby passed away on November 16, 2025, at Medical City of Frisco after a short illness. She was 77 years old.
Sheila was born April 14, 1948, in Waupaca Wisconsin to Marjorie Jean (Larson) White and Robert James White. (Maternal grandparents were Charles Walter Larson and Helen (Mohr) and then Geneva (Kragh) Larson. Paternal grandparents were Mattie and Joseph White.) She was the oldest of four siblings – Thomas Charles White, Nancy Kay White, and Roberta Jo “Bobby” (White) Hunt. Sheila grew up in Wisconsin and Minnesota, moving to Richardson, Texas, in the early 60s. She graduated from Richardson High School in 1966.
She met the love of her life, David Ronnie Huckaby, and they married on September 1, 1967. Sheila and David had two children – Thomas David Huckaby and Dawn Michelle (Huckaby) Caldwell. The family lived in Aalsmeer (Netherlands) from 1972 to 1974 while David was employed at Texas Instruments. These years living abroad – filled with traveling throughout Europe and making lifelong friends - were some of the happiest years of their married life and started a lifelong passion for travel.
Sheila obtained a Bachelor of Science of Architecture, Interiors Option, with honors at University of Texas Arlington in 1981. She completed a master’s degree from University of Texas at Dallas in 2003. Sheila was the Director of Interiors at Bogard Guthrie Architects from 1981 to 1986. She then worked as a professor of commercial interior design for UT Dallas.
In her free time, she became a master genealogist, publishing genealogy books for both her family and David’s. Her first book earned the Dallas Genealogy Society’s First Place Award for Bound Books in December 1996.
Sheila was a committed volunteer to the Heritage Farmstead of Plano, eventually becoming the President of the Board. During her tenure, she set the goal and led the work to obtain full American Alliance of Museum accreditation in 2008, a significant feat that has enabled the Farmstead to thrive to this day.
Sheila (and David before he passed) did a lot of traveling with Dawn’s family –all over mainland US, multiple trips to Hawaii, Canada, China, Iceland, France, England, and Ireland. Sheila also loved traveling extensively within the US and internationally with her friends via group tours.
Later in life, Sheila became interested in writing her memoir and joined a lively memoir writing group that became dear friends. She had completed, but not yet published, a full draft of her own memoir at the time of her death.
She had four grandchildren that she doted on – David Huckaby, Arianna Huckaby, Mason James Caldwell and Kathleen Nicole “Wren” Caldwell.
Sheila was preceded in death by her husband, David, and her sister, Nancy. Sheila is survived by her brother Thomas (wife Lisa), sister Roberta Jo Hunt (nephew Nicholas Hunt), son Thomas, daughter Dawn (husband Douglas) and her grandchildren.
Our family is extremely grateful for all of mom’s friends – new and old - and the love they showed her through her lifetime. One of mom’s last requests was to ask Dawn to tell her friends that she loved them. We would also like to extend a special thank you to Pastor Carolyn (Jackson) Shaw for all the love and care she provided to mom over the years that enabled mom to live the independent and happy life she desired. Mom was incredibly blessed to call so many wonderful people friends.
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