Dr. Sheila Lloyd Waiter

Dr. Sheila Lloyd Waiter passed away peacefully on 19 July 2025 in Huntington, Long Island, New York, aged 93, after a long and gradual decline in health. She is deeply mourned by her family and all who knew her. Sheila was born on 10 June 1932 in Sunderland, in the northeast of England, the only child of Henry and Nellie May Wilson (née Lloyd), both teachers. Bright, conscientious, and independent, she stood out from a young age. At the Reverend Bede Grammar School for Girls, she excelled academically - particularly in mathematics and the sciences - and distinguished herself athletically, representing her school in tennis, field hockey, and fencing. A talented musician, she played both piano and cello, and was appointed Head Girl in her final year. In 1950, she won a place to study medicine at King’s College, University of Durham - one of only three women in her year. It was a remarkable achievement at a time when few women entered the profession. In 1955, she was awarded M.B., B.S. (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery), and went on to postgraduate positions in Obstetrics and Haematology. She married Robert Waiter, also of Sunderland, on 6 July 1957. The couple lived in Cheshire then Gloucester. During this time, Sheila worked part-time as a general practitioner while raising two young children, Michael and Susan. She also pursued a wide array of interests - including brass rubbing, needlework and dressmaking, gardening, golf, and especially tennis, which she played with a competitive spirit well into her later years. In 1969, the family relocated to Cobham in Surrey. In 1971, she was approached to join the UK’s Department of Health and Social Security as a Medical Officer. Over the next eight years, she built a successful career administering Pathology services across the country, ultimately serving as Senior Medical Officer. In 1980, Sheila and Robert emigrated to the United States following Robert’s promotion, and settled in New Vernon, New Jersey. Though the move brought an abrupt end to her established medical career, Sheila embraced the challenge of setting up home in a new country with characteristic determination. In 1982, she embarked upon a second, highly successful career in the pharmaceutical industry, working in clinical development, and latterly drug safety and regulation at Ciba-Geigy, Berlex Laboratories, and Sandoz. She retired in 1996 as Executive Director of Pharmacovigilance. In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded membership of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom. Sheila remained active, intellectually curious, and socially engaged in retirement. She became a U.S. citizen in 1999, and relished in new her role as grandmother to Anna. She continued to play tennis, restored antique chairs, and volunteered at the local library. Sheila was predeceased by her husband, Robert, and by her many feline companions - Jackson, Sheba, Shara, Mimi, Nicky, etc. She is survived by her children, Michael and Susan, her cherished granddaughter, Anna, and her son-in-law, Glenn Tyranski. In remembrance of Sheila’s life and love, memorial donations may be made to the Orphan Kitten Club (https://orphankittenclub.org/donate/) and/or Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (https://give.doctorswithoutborders.org/).

Dr. Sheila Lloyd Waiter

June 10, 1932 - July 19, 2025