Sheila Hockenbury

Sheila Hockenbury, 89, of Newtown Square, PA, beloved wife of the late William E. Hockenbury, passed away peacefully on August 19, 2026, surrounded by family and friends. Born July 25, 1937 in Pittsfield, MA, she was the daughter of the late William Robert and Mary Agnes (nee Murphy) Stevens. Sheila was the sister of Thomas Stevens and Kathleen Beatty, and caring aunt and great-aunt of 20.

Sheila and Bill Hockenbury, her husband of over 50 years, moved to Whitehorse Village in Newtown Square, PA, to enjoy their twilight years. They were a happy, devoted and loving couple who cherished many friends and family. Sheila was a faithful Catholic throughout her life. She attended mass regularly and served her church in many ways, including acting as a greeter and lay reader. Her faith was very important to her.

She graduated from Katherine Gibbs School, NY, and enjoyed a long and successful career as an assistant to senior executives at General Electric and Johnson & Johnson. In retirement she started a company called Meetings+ for executive retreats and conferences.

During her twenty years at Whitehorse Village, Sheila was active in the community, made many friends, and enjoyed years of weekly work at the gift corral. Sheila enjoyed get-aways with husband Bill to Cape May, NJ for long weekends. She was known for her ice cream cakes, to always include chocolate and chocolate chip mint flavors. A lifelong lover of dogs, Sheila would often walk her Corgies throughout WHV. She also enjoyed visits from her two Australian Shepherd “doggies”, Murphy and Clancy, who became WHV favorites over the last few years. Happy with any excuse for a celebration, she could often be found with her split of champagne and single piece of chocolate. She was an avid baseball fan, and no player ever topped her all time favorite, Ted Williams. Sheila used her favorite color, purple, often in her wardrobe. She never missed having her hair done on Thursdays at 1:30 pm.

Relatives and friends are invited to her Funeral Mass at Saints Simon and Jude Church, 8 Cavanaugh Court, West Chester, PA 19382 at 10:30 am, September 28, 2026. Burial will be a private service at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to White Horse Village Residents' Reserve Fund, 535 Gradyville Road, Newtown Square, PA 19073.