BURGAW — Sheila Goff Martin, 54, passed from her earthly life Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, following a brief illness.
She was born March 8, 1965, in Wilmington, the daughter of Patricia “Pat” Goff and the late Donald Lee Goff. Despite her small stature, she was a pistol with a fiery tenacity and toughness that was unmatched.
Growing up as the youngest child in a family of mischievous and prankster siblings, she learned early on that she was going to have to be a fighter if she were to hold her own. And this stuck with her the rest of her life. Sheila was the rare soul who had the courage to face the world with her true self. She could be the sweetest and kindest person, or the toughest fighter in the ring.
No matter the fights or struggles that life sent her way, she battled through and kept going, providing inspiration to all those around her. If she couldn’t get over a mountain, she’d go through it. Yet, beneath it all, she still had a heart that was overflowing with love, compassion and a deep devotion to her friends and family. Sheila wasn’t just feisty. She was also an intensely loyal and loving sister, mom, wife and daughter who loved spending time with her family most of all.
All of her friends and relatives have “Sheila stories” of fun times spent together, laughs shared, tears shed or mischief gotten into. But, the fire and passion for life that burned within Sheila meant that she was never content to just sit around and let time go by.
On any given day, she could be found boating on the river, fishing, riding four wheelers, or tinkering with a craft project. She was as full of life as she was full of laughs, and she was truly one of a kind. She was our baby sister, our aunt, our daughter, our best friend. She was our Sheila and she will be forever missed.
In addition to her mother, Sheila is survived by her loving family, her son, Tony Martin (Erikah Miller); fiancé, David Harts; sisters, Cathy Murrell (Bill) and Brenda Todd (Johnny); brothers, Donald Goff Jr. (Jean) and Kenneth Goff; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
The family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 13, at Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home, Burgaw, and other times at the home of Cathy and Bill Murrell. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Feb. 14, at Oleander Memorial Gardens, 306 Bradley Drive, Wilmington, with Dr. Kenneth Benton conducting the service.
Share online condolences with the family at Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home.
