Sheila Yoell Kneass

Sheila Yoell Kneass passed away peacefully in Healdsburg, California, on March 8, 2026. Born in San Francisco on September 14, 1933, she was the daughter of Helen and Rodney Yoell, MD. A native of the city, Sheila attended the Hamlin School and the Convent of the Sacred Heart before graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1956, where she was a member of Alpha Phi sorority.

After traveling to Europe in 1956, she married her first husband, Perry Rosson, who was serving in the U.S. Army overseas. The couple returned to Piedmont, California, and later settled in Saratoga, where Sheila lived for thirty years. In the 1970s, she joined three close friends to establish a successful catering company that she later sold in the 1990s and that continues to thrive today. In 1994, Sheila married Bill Kneass, and together they moved to Healdsburg, where they shared a happy life in the community until his death in 2007.

An avid reader, Sheila worked in two bookstores and later at a cooking store in Healdsburg. She had a lifelong love of travel and continued exploring well into her eighties, including a memorable tent safari in Africa with a dear friend. Known for her infectious sense of humor and remarkably upbeat outlook, Sheila brought warmth, fun, humility, and a strong work ethic to her family. A gifted cook, she created lasting memories through the welcoming, delicious gatherings and holiday celebrations she hosted for those she loved.

Sheila is survived by her three children, Peter Rosson (David Barrett), Katie Rosson (Gibson Scheid), and Charlie Rosson (Denise Rosson), and her granddaughters, Schuyler and Alexandra “Kiki” Rosson. She was predeceased by her brother, John Yoell, and her sister, Catherine “Missy” Saveri.