She was the eldest child and daughter of Justice Raymond L. Sullivan and Winifred Carreras Sullivan of San Francisco.

A former trustee of Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton and a recipient of the St. Madeleine Sophie Award for service to the schools. She was a blue-ribbon graduate of the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Atherton and a graduate of Lone Mountain, the San Francisco College for Women.

She taught at Winfield Scott and Alamo schools in San Francisco. She was a member of the Catholic Community at Stanford.

A Vigil Service will be said Wednesday at 7 pm in the Chapel in the Main Building at Sacred Heart Schools, 150 Valparaiso Avenue in Atherton. A Funeral Mass will take place Thursday at 5 pm at Sacred Heart Schools. A private committal will follow Friday at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Contributions in Sheila’s memory preferred to the Sheila Peterson Scholarship Fund at Sacred Heart Schools.

Today Ron and Katie and Mike and Molly went to a mass at Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton for the feast of St. Madeleine Sophie. Last night Sheila took her last breath peacefully at around 11:30 p.m., and so today’s mass also served as a memorial to Mom.

We are planning a vigil and a funeral for mid week following Memorial Day. We thank you for all of your prayers, thoughts, and good wishes throughout the last 14 months, and we know that you will understand that we will be in touch when we are able to be.

After we took her to the emergency room, she was admitted to the hospital, and has been in the care of oncologists, infectious disease specialists, and neurologists. Sheila also has not been very conscious, and for the past several days, has been receiving anti-anxiety and pain medicine, and has not spoken nearly at all.

Tuesday we had a mass with Father Patrick and our family in her room on F-Ground. She did laugh at her children once today.

Her doctors at Stanford believe she may have both an infection in her head port, and a progression of her cancer. The situation means that she’s not a good candidate for further treatment. One of the last wishes she expressed was that she wanted to go home, and Ron, Mike, Katie, and Molly decided to do that for her.

We’ve heard by phone and email from some friends and family, and we’re so grateful for your good wishes and thoughts. Some of you are asking how best to help. We’re asking that you not call the house for the time being, as we’re in a bit of chaos finding a place for Mom, and her caregivers. If you must reach us, try Molly or Katie’s cell phones, or email us; that’s what we can manage.

We’ll try to email with updates when we have them. We’re still grateful for your thoughts, and prayers, and everything else. We feel loved and supported; thank you so very much for that.

The doctors informed Sheila on Monday afternoon that there was lymphoma activity on her spine. And they determined to treat it with radiation. Immediately. This displeased The Sheriff to no end.

Today was Sheila’s birthday. This morning, Sheila was taken to the emergency room because of a fall and severe pain. The doctors are keeping her in the hospital – F-3, which is upstairs from F-Ground – and currently we are awaiting news regarding her condition and her upcoming treatment.

Sheila and Ron’s trip to Hawaii has been postponed. Right now, what we need more than anything are your prayers.

Katie and Molly are in town and Mike is arriving Friday night. Mike graduated today from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Masters in Fine Arts degree in poetry writing.

Mike had a great day. Mom has had better. Hopefully, tomorrow.

If you want to know what is going on, check back here, or if you need to, call Molly or Katie.

Love,

Katie
and her typist

p.s. We saw this today, near the MRI room:

No wonder robots are lonely.

This year, Sheriff Jackal celebrated Mother’s Day weekend in style: Saturday, we went on a magical mystery tour through the new, improved (“Monstrous and Weird” – Steve Ward; “Confusing, and where are the dried chiles?” – Me) Menlo Park Safeway for a length of time that resembles the average indie movie. Enchiladas were made, in three varieties (beef, chicken, and “medley.” Sangria was made, in one (white). Cupcakes were baked, with frosting (FULL of nutrients, if you consider nutrients to be butter and sugar). All under the watchful eye of the Sheriff, whose eye for violations of social law is keenly calibrated. 

Then on Sunday we took calls from loyal subjects, watched an incredibly ludicrous chick flick (P.S. It Was Long), and ate Fred Steak, Mimi’s Cheese Cookies, Ter and Steve’s Eskimo Pies, and Kasey’s Strawberry Action (I actually missed that part, but I did see beautiful May strawberries going into a bowl, and nobody’s filled me in yet) with Wards, Sullivans and a Growney or two. 

Sheila, Who Must Be Obeyed, has a birthday Thursday…as does a good friend of this blog, Patrick “The Jack” Klafehn. Katie P. will be on site in Menlo Party to celebrate The Jackal (or The Sheriff), and we’ll all be sending good thoughts and welcomes to old age to Patrick. 

We’re glad to hear from you all. Mom and Dad are heading to vacationland next Saturday morning, and Mom’s probably already packing swimsuits (and ziploc bags for swimsuits) as I type. Between now and then, there’s ONE LAST CHEMO DOSE and some Stanford Cancer Center bidness…and I think our cowboy Katie will weigh in. Stay tuned, and stay close, and thank you for all of your calls and food and emails and everything. 

The highlights:

*Some of you may know “The Professor.” He is the enormous chocolate bunny we bought Mom for Easter who bears somewhat of a resemblance (owing to his bowtie and black frame glasses) to Louis Farakkhan. Well, he was, and he did. This weekend he gave his life so that chocolate chip cookies may live. Mom’s verdict: “These taste European.” 

*We went out to dinner Saturday night. The Jackal got hungry around 4:30 but we managed to wait to leave the house until 6. Dad: “What is this, the twilight special?” The Jackal: “Only old people go out to dinner this early. (beat) Hurry up.”

*We went to see Evy and Art Sullivan Sunday with more baked goods than they’ll ever be able to eat alone. I would recommend that if you’re in the neighborhood of the Adam Way compound you go say hello. Evy and Art look great. 

*Mona and Brian made sure I was properly fed and watered Friday night (Mona did double duty, driving me back to the airport Sunday). Mom did the same thing for her plants on Sunday. 

Thanks to everyone from the Stanford Catholic Community, and to all of our family, and to people like Mrs. Stoner and Mrs. London who are coming by to keep The Sheriff (when The Jackal is not hungry, she returns to her human form as The Sheriff) company. Mom is doing much better after 10 days of radiation and 2 more chemo treatments via the head port in this third round. 

Sheila is also planning fun things to do for when this is all over. Like, a trip to Hawaii. And a party to thank everyone who has made dinners and given her a ride somewhere. I’m pretty sure you can guarantee an invite to the party by putting a comment on this blog – she loves reading comments that people leave her. As for her children, The Jackal has been prickly of late. At one point – though she stridently complains this is a misquote – she said that we weren’t invited because we weren’t helping. (“It’s not like YOU’RE making dinners.”) I’m crossing my fingers and hoping she’ll let me fill ice buckets or something. 

Well, it’s been a busy time around Peterson Manor lately. We had a lovely Easter together – complete with Mike Peterson surprise! (This refers both to what he cooked for Saturday dinner and the fact that he was there at all.) The Sheriff got a badge, and no, that’s not a metaphor. The Sheriff came to the family after The Jackal; she was full of questions and also laid down laws about acceptable behavior. The badge was a silver shiny star obtained at the House of Humor in Redwood City, around the same time we got the piñata. Which was a baby chick. Which Uncle Phil got first whack at, at the Wards’ house for “linner.”

Since then we’ve had a serious development: a modification to the treatment plan.

Mom’s now getting radiation therapy 5 days a week, starting today, and continuing through the first week of May. They made her some sort of mold to put her head in so she wouldn’t move around, and they’re concentrating on two spots mom’s been calling “telephone poles.” Her circumstances have changed quickly, but if you’ve talked to her in the last several days, you’ve probably noticed she’s sounding a little unusual. For the record, my brother Mike is not living with our uncle Phil in North Carolina, my sister Katie and I did not go fishing lately, or sleep on the ground when we did it, and she and Dad did not meet Rafael Furcal (the Dodgers shortstop) on Rodeo Drive on Monday. Also, the salad is not cornbread, and does not need to be cooked.

Some people have asked how they can help our dad, and the answer is that our Auntie Vicki is helping coordinate meals (cause otherwise it would be a trip down Clam Alley or a can of hash, I’d bet).

The radiation schedule is still a little up in the air, but I know that on Monday morning, Dad and Mom are planning to go to a memorial service for our cousin Anne Wade. All of us have Juli, John, Christopher and the rest of the cousins in our prayers now.

Us kids are very grateful for our family there right now. We’ll be coming home soon, and often, and when we do we’ll tell you that in person.