Obituary for Sheila H. Marshall (Hermes)
Sheila Marshall, a retired attorney of New York, NY, died peacefully after several years of declining health on August 11, 2020 at her residence in Winchester, MA. She was 86 years old.
Born in Brooklyn, NY on January 17, 1934, she remained a resident of the borough through her young adult life, living with her mother Julia and younger brother Michael. Her early years were marked by hardship, as her father disappeared from the family’s life following World War II, and her mother was stricken with a debilitating illness at far too young an age. Those who knew Sheila would not be surprised to learn that she faced these challenges with grit and determination. She supported her family through her job as a secretary in a law firm while also attending Saint John’s University at night, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in 1959. Despite the barriers that existed at the time, she realized she would rather be a lawyer than assist one, obtaining an LLB from New York University in 1963, also at night. She then began her career as an associate at what was then LeBoeuf, Lamb, Leiby & MacRae, where Randall J. LeBoeuf Jr., one of the founding partners, took her under his wing. She had a pure love of the law and was promoted to partner in 1973, the first woman there to do so. She held that position until 1995, remaining of counsel for nearly a decade before retiring in 2004.
Away from work, she was an avid traveler, a voracious reader and theatregoer, and a talented cook. More importantly, she was a loving wife to Jim, who predeceased her in 2015, an adoring mother to J.J. and his wife Liz, and a deeply affectionate grandmother to Virginia and Graham. Her many friends and members of her extended family will attest to her abundant warmth and generosity, traits made even more remarkable given her early years. A celebration of her life will be held next summer at her beloved retreat of Point O’ Woods, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Bar Association’s Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund.
Born in Brooklyn, NY on January 17, 1934, she remained a resident of the borough through her young adult life, living with her mother Julia and younger brother Michael. Her early years were marked by hardship, as her father disappeared from the family’s life following World War II, and her mother was stricken with a debilitating illness at far too young an age. Those who knew Sheila would not be surprised to learn that she faced these challenges with grit and determination. She supported her family through her job as a secretary in a law firm while also attending Saint John’s University at night, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in 1959. Despite the barriers that existed at the time, she realized she would rather be a lawyer than assist one, obtaining an LLB from New York University in 1963, also at night. She then began her career as an associate at what was then LeBoeuf, Lamb, Leiby & MacRae, where Randall J. LeBoeuf Jr., one of the founding partners, took her under his wing. She had a pure love of the law and was promoted to partner in 1973, the first woman there to do so. She held that position until 1995, remaining of counsel for nearly a decade before retiring in 2004.
Away from work, she was an avid traveler, a voracious reader and theatregoer, and a talented cook. More importantly, she was a loving wife to Jim, who predeceased her in 2015, an adoring mother to J.J. and his wife Liz, and a deeply affectionate grandmother to Virginia and Graham. Her many friends and members of her extended family will attest to her abundant warmth and generosity, traits made even more remarkable given her early years. A celebration of her life will be held next summer at her beloved retreat of Point O’ Woods, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Bar Association’s Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund.