Sheila Carey Bryan — Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect

Rumson-raised Sheila Carey Bryan passed away on March 29. She was 68.

Sheila Carey Bryan
Photo/family via Thompson Memorial Home

“Her creativity was legendary. She worked primarily in interior design, where her hallmark was the ability to create interesting but highly functional interiors, always with whimsical elements. She hated pretense and would never allow a client to pursue a beautiful design that would not withstand the onslaught of kids, dogs, and normal life. A lifelong animal lover, she always had a menagerie of cats and dogs, and may be the only human being ever to teach a cat to fetch.”
Loved ones of Shiela Carey Bryan in her obituary

Born in Westerly, RI, in addition to growing up in Rumson, she lived in Montreal, Canada before attending Northeastern University and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

“She loved living in beautiful places including Sun Valley and Boise, Idaho for many years as well as Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Meadows of Dan, Virginia, and Nantucket, Massachusetts before relocating back to New Jersey where she was living at the time of her death,” family added in her obituary.

Sheila was preceded in death by her son, Jenner, and her parents Ray and Dennice Carey.

She is survived by: her sister, Lisa Carey and brother-in-law Matt Ewend; brother, Michael and sister-in-law Kristen Carey; nephews and nieces, Nash, Kelly, and Abby Carey-Ewend, Patrick and Adam Carey; and multiple wonderful friends from all the walks of her life.

Memorial services will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Jenner Carey Bryan Award for Research in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Arts and Sciences Foundation, 523 East Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (Please note that gift is for the Jenner Carey Bryan Award 104514), or online at http://give.unc.edu/donate?f=104514.