Sheila Sabrey-Saperstein

Sheila Sabrey-Saperstein, 85, of Fish Creek, passed away peacefully at Door County Medical Center in Sturgeon Bay on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 9:03 a.m. after a long illness.

Sheila was born December 4, 1940, and became the beloved adoptive daughter of John D. Sabrey and Marguerite E. Sabrey. She graduated from a parochial Catholic high school in Toledo and also attended Catholic college in Ohio, receiving her BA in Theatre. She went on to receive her PhD in Theater in 1988 from Northwestern University and was a lifelong lover and practitioner of all things thespian. She taught Theater at Northwestern for many years until she moved to Door County with her husband Phil in the late nineties.

John Sabrey, Sheila’s father, was a resident hotel manager in Chicago, and later in Toledo, Ohio, and Sheila spent her childhood in the busy and stimulating world of Great Lakes urban hotels. Her scrapbooks are full of autographed photos of celebrities of the day – Liberace and Gene Autry among them, and her father’s scrapbooks are full of signed photos of Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, John Kennedy (a hero of heroes in Irish Catholic communities of the time), Lyndon Johnson, and others, and he attended the Kennedy inauguration and ball in 1961; following in her parents’ footsteps, Sheila was a lifelong Democrat. She was a creative soul right out of the gate – drawings, poems, humorous pieces, and especially high grades in speech, theater, and anything involving words and creativity characterize all of her memorabilia and every season of her long life.

Sheila married Zalman (Phil) Saperstein, the love of her life, in 1978 and they shared a rich life and marriage for 43 years until Phil’s death at their Fish Creek home in 2021. They retired to Door County in the late nineties and became regular fixtures of the community. Sheila was deeply involved in Door County theater – in the Peninsula Players and in Isadoora Theater Company of Sturgeon Bay, which she co-founded. She played a part in the 2010 film, Feed the Fish, alongside many other Door County actors and the prominent actor Tony Shalhoub. She was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County and was active for decades in AA. A trained photographer, the walls of her home are filled with many of her own Door County photographs, award-winning photos among them. Sheila will be deeply missed by the many people in Door County and beyond who loved her and remember her energy, her humor, her commitment to social justice, the environment, and her devoted circle of fans and intimate friends.

Sheila is survived by her loving stepchildren Andy (Kathryn), Tina, and David (Susan Lee), by 7 grandchildren, 8 (soon to be 10) great grandchildren, as well as by a cousin, Tom Sabrey. She is preceded in death by her parents, John and Marguerite, by her beloved husband, Phil, and by many other dear family and friends.

In honor of Sheila’s wishes, no services will be held at this time. A private gathering in her honor will be planned in Door County in the spring or summer.

Sincere thanks to Door County Medical Center, who provided competent and compassionate care to Sheila for many years, to Serenity Springs in Sister Bay during her rehabilitation after a recent hip fracture, and to Huehn’s Funeral Home in Sturgeon Bay (Casperson Funeral Home in Sister Bay) for handling the funeral arrangements. Special thanks are also due Marta Volkman of Fish Creek, who provided jack-of-all-trades care to Sheila and to Phil beginning with Phil’s final illness many years ago, and more recently as Sheila’s care needs became greater. Marta and Sheila were dear friends, as evidenced by Marta now adopting Sheila’s beloved 5ish pound dog, Rosie, who is now in a household with Marta’s 165-pound dog, Chance – quite the pair, and Sheila will indeed keep her loving gaze on them both. Special thanks are also due to Suzanne Rose of Sturgeon Bay, a beloved friend, fellow photographer, and “chosen family” to Sheila, along with Suzanne’s daughter, Delilah – Suzanne has also played a major part in loving Sheila over the years in personal and practical ways. Jeep Pagel and Michelle Durflinger, also of Door County, have also been faithful friends and chosen family to Sheila for many years, along with many others far too numerous to mention. Sheila will be sorely missed, and her loss will be felt for many years to come in Door County and beyond.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Sheila’s honor to Isadoora Theater Company, Sturgeon Bay – P.O. Box 772 in Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235.

Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Sheila may be shared with her family through her tribute page at www.HuehnsFuneralHome.com and www.CaspersonFuneralHome.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sheila Sabrey-Saperstein, please visit our floral store.