Revered Arizona storyteller, Sheila Pattison, passed away Monday, June 23rd.
Sheila was beloved for her devotion to the art of storytelling. Her work as a librarian, storyteller, story mentor and organizer brought her respect and recognition throughout Arizona and around the United States.
With Bernice Steinhauser, LaVonne Baker and Mary Ruth Shropshire, Sheila founded Tellers of Tales in 1979. Because of her passion for preserving stories and the storytelling tradition, she helped re-introduce Arizona to storytelling at a time when storytelling seemed to be a dying art. Sheila was a consummate planner and organizational powerhouse, launching storytelling groups, community concerts, story retreats, workshops and other events around Arizona. Over the years, her kind mentoring and encouragement helped launch several storytelling careers.
Sheila suffered for nearly 10 years from the cascading effects of her tragic fall down a flight of stairs while she was on a hiking trip with her friends.
She will be greatly missed by many storytellers and storytelling fans.
Thanks to Glenda Bonin for the above information