Sheila A. Sanna

Sheila A. (Kent) Sanna, 85, of Greenville, RI passed away peacefully on July 6, 2026 at Mount St. Rita Health Centre in Cumberland, RI. Born in Central Falls, RI, she was the daughter of the late Walter J. and Rita G. (Gilbert) Kent and sister of the late Walter J. Kent, Jr. She was also preceded in death by her beloved grandpups, Penny Rose and Bella Luna Ferruolo.

A lifelong resident of Cumberland, RI - until 2019 when she made her home with her daughter's family in Greenville, Sheila attended St. Patrick's School and graduated from Cumberland High School. At the start of her career, she worked in the administrative offices at a variety of companies including Standard Romper, Grace Holmes and Ann & Hope - where in the late 1970s she also worked part-time as a night switchboard operator. The bulk of her career, however, was spent working as a bookkeeper for Betty's Inc. and then Conrad-Jarvis Corp., where she worked until her retirement in 2006.

Sheila was one of the original "Valley Girls", a group of women who grew up in Valley Falls and maintained lifelong friendships - the subject of which was an article featured in The Valley Breeze. In her spare time, she could often be found creating craft projects to share with her family and friends. She also loved her crossword puzzle books, following in the footsteps of her father Walter, who could often be found working on the New York Times crossword puzzle. Following her retirement, Sheila was a frequent caller to daily radio programs on WOON, where she came to be known as "The Music Lady", a testament to her vast knowledge of musical trivia.

Over the years for her milestone birthdays, Sheila traveled with her family to various destinations: Washington, DC for her 50th, Las Vegas for her 60th, New York City for her 70th, and a very special trip/first ever visit to Walt Disney World for her 75th & her grandson Noah's 16th birthday. So many incredible memories were shared during those trips, including a visit to Ellis Island in 2011 to witness where her great-grandfather James J. McKee emigrated to the US from County Tyrone, Ireland in 1870.

Sheila is survived by her two daughters, Kelly A. Rushing and her husband Thomas, and Kristin E. Ferruolo and her husband Raymond; her grandson Noah C. Rushing; and several nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her best friend & birthday twin, Janet Cardoso, who has been like a sister to her for over 45 years.

The family would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the staff of Mount St. Rita Health Centre, particularly Tina Medeiros and Phyllis Spaziano, for the care and compassion given to our mom. We would also like to express a debt of gratitude to oncologist Dr. Alexander Raufi of the Brown University Health Cancer Institute, who oversaw an aggressive treatment plan for cholangiocarcinoma and helped our mom become a cancer survivor for over 6 years.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to a Funeral Service on Saturday, July 18th at 10:30 AM in the O'Neill Funeral Home, 3102 Mendon Road, Cumberland. Burial will follow in Diamond Hill Cemetery, 35 Reservoir Road, Cumberland.

Visitation will be held prior to the Service, on Saturday, July 18th from 9:00 - 10:30 AM in the O'Neill Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Sheila's memory to the Brown University Health Cancer Institute, Providence, RI or Mount St. Rita Health Centre, Cumberland, RI.