Shela Ann McCarthy

Shela Ann McCarthy of Fort Collins passed away peacefully on March 27, 2026 following a short illness. Born on June 30, 1946, family lore is that her father (Vern) filled out the birth certificate. Spelling was not his strong suit; he named her Shela instead of Sheila. A spelling she decided to proudly keep. Shela was preceded in death by her parents Vern and Maudie Lineback, her husband Jack, her son Jason and her sister Shirley Johnson. She is survived by her daughter, Dionne McCarthy and Dionne’s daughters Hannah Buffamoyer (Shay) and Mena Cozzola, and her sister, Karen Tool (Steve) and numerous adoring nieces and nephews. She was raised on a ranch in The Sandhills of western Nebraska and later in Chadron, Nebraska where her family owned and operated The Grand Motel. She graduated from Chadron High School in 1964. After high school she attended cosmetology school in Denver. Back in The Sandhills in 1965, she worked one summer at The Hyannis Hotel in Hyannis, Nebraska. There she met a handsome young local man who at the time was in a full body cast due to a motorcycle accident. She immediately fell in love with this ‘bad boy,’ Jack McCarthy! They married in 1966 and went on to have daughter Dionne in 1968 and son Jason in 1971. They moved to Denver as a young couple where Shela worked in a salon, and Jack worked for a heating and air conditioning company. Eventually they decided to open their own HVAC company in North Platte, Nebraska. In 1978, Quality Heating and Air Conditioning began. They ran the business together for over 25 years. Shela ran a tight ship in the office and was undoubtably the reason the company was successful. As a hobby while in North Platte, Jack got his private pilot license, and Shela learned enough about their Cessna to be a reliable copilot as they flew far and wide. They sold their HVAC company in 2003 and moved to Fort Collins to ‘retire’ and be closer to their grandkids. In retirement, they fixed and flipped houses in the pre-2008 real estate market. Then, Shela spent several years working for Chico’s in Fort Collins, making many new friends. At home she was Grams, an extraordinary grandmother to Hannah and Mena and sister Karen’s best friend! Following Jack’s death, she cultivated a special friendship with neighbor Leonard Peatrowsky and his family. Please join us for a Celebration of Life at C.B. and Potts (Collindale Golf Course) at 1441 E. Horsetooth Road on Saturday, April 18 from 10:00 to 1:00 pm.

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Shela Ann McCarthy

June 30, 1946 - March 27, 2026