Sheila Cates Keating, age 58, of Prior Lake, MN, passed away on July 27, 2023. A Time of Gathering will be held from 4:00 – 7:00 PM on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at St. Michael Catholic Church, 16400 Duluth Ave SE, Prior Lake, MN 55372. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, August 3, 2023 with Father Thomas Walker presiding. Visitation time will be held prior to mass from 9:30 – 11:00 AM. Interment will be at St. Michael Catholic Cemetery, Prior Lake.
Livestreaming will be available at St. Michael Catholic Church’s website https://stmichael-pl.org/ and by clicking on the “Mass and Services” tab.
Memorials preferred to:
Brighter Days Family Grief Center:
Brighter Days Family Grief Center | Grief Center in Eden Prairie (brighterdaysgriefcenter.org)
Mayo Clinic:
Sheila was born on April 3, 1965 to Richard and Mary (Slater) Cates in Shakopee, MN. A middle child of three girls, Sheila grew up in Prior Lake and attended St. Michael Catholic School through 8 th Grade. She loved being a cheerleader in High School. She developed a love for music at an early age, jamming out to whatever happened to be on the radio! Sheila worked various jobs around Prior Lake growing up, including a paper route carrier, Valleyfair sweeperette, and a Laker’s Restaurant waitress. After her high school graduation at Prior Lake in 1984, she attempted college at St. Cloud State, but ended up finding a lifelong career in travel. She started working as a tour agent at MLT and worked her way to manager at MLT, Northwest and Delta Airlines.
Ten years after her high school graduation, Sheila reconnected with Mike Keating (who she had dated in high school!), and were united in marriage on October 21, 1995, at St. Michael Catholic Church in Prior Lake. Together, they were blessed with two children, Tom and Meghan. As a family, Sheila, Mike, and the kids loved the trips up to the cabin in Brainerd. She loved to talk about absolutely everything, spending time with her family, and taking all the teasing that was aimed at her (even when it involved fish – which Sheila despised!). Sheila was always Tom and Meghan’s biggest cheerleader and supporter. She never turned down a sporting or social event and her laugh was always the loudest in the room wherever she was. Sheila made everyone feel loved and welcomed and was their favorite audience member. She loved to celebrate life and was incredibly generous. It brought her so much joy to see her family and friends with the many gifts that she passed along.
In her later years, Sheila found many ways to connect with her family and friends despite her struggles. She had a special talent for putting others at ease no matter how she was feeling herself.
Most of all, Sheila’s strong faith stayed at the center of life. She believed that she received a litany of miracles throughout her life and always stayed positive.
Sheila was a generous and truly happy soul; an embodiment of the word “Love”. She will be greatly missed by her husband, Mike; children, Tom and Meghan; best furry friend, Coach; mother, Eileen Cates; siblings, Kathleen (Charlie) VanMeter and Susie (Sparky) Mahowald; step mother-in-law, Penny Keating; and other loving relatives and friends.
She is preceded in death by her father, Dick Cates; and parents-in-law, Denny and Patricia Keating.
Share a message with Sheila’s family at www.ballardsunderfuneral.com.
