Sheena Diane Pettit, 66 of Merriam Woods, MO.

Sheena Diane Pettit, 66 of Merriam Woods, MO, passed in the comfort of her home on the morning of Saturday, April 16, 2022. She was with family and her beloved fur babies.

   Sheena was born on Monday, November 21, 1955 in Kansas City, MO, to John and Jan Henderson. She was the oldest of six with two sisters and three brothers. Her family later moved to Texas where she graduated from L.D. Bell High School in Hurst, Tx.

Thanks to a cassette player and a well-fitting pair of Wrangler jeans, Sheena met Jim Pettit, the love of her life-while working in Stephenville, TX. They were married on May 23, 1981, in Gustine, TX, at his family’s farm. They raised two children in central Texas and later in Taney County, MO.

Sheena returned to school and received her Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Criminal Justice from Missouri State University in May 1997. She then worked with Division of Youth Services as a youth tracker until becoming a Deputy Juvenile Officer of Taney County for the State of Missouri. Her time as a juvenile officer was devoted to helping children and families in need. She was determined to help as many as she could, often taking on an imposing caseload. Even so, she would remember every single child and could speak to their situation and progress. She loved her work and hoped she had the smallest impact. Sheena retired from the Juvenile Office in the fall of 2015.

Throughout her life, Sheena was a defender and guardian for all life. Not only was she devoted to her work through the juvenile office, but she was also a mother figure and voice for those in need. The Pettit Household was known as a safe and welcoming space for friends of the family and neighborhood kids. Sheena was also a fierce protector of the environment and animal activist often proclaiming loud and proud that she was a “Tree-hugging hippy.” She and Jim would routinely rescue and foster abandoned cats and kittens (keeping a few for themselves). If she ever caught someone unnecessarily cutting down a tree, “Boy howdy,” they were in trouble. Sheena supported several institutions such as the ASPCA, World Wildlife Fund and Natural Resources Defense Council.

She was known for her green thumb. A visit to the house during winter months would feel like a jungle trek with massive potted plants many pushing 30 years old crowding the space. Spring and summer would see the front porch lined with huge, trailing pothos and the front yard full of Iris, Daffodils and Honeysuckle. Sheena also enjoyed artistic endeavors in her free time. She was a skilled pencil artist, preferring to draw realistic portraits. Her prized piece was her award-winning portrait of John Lennon. Later in life, she developed a love of nature photography. She was particularly fond of taking photos of clouds.

Sheena is preceded in death by her mother, Jan Henderson, and her brother, Shawn Henderson.

She is survived by her husband, Jim Pettit; her children, Adam Pettit and Christian Pettit Cochran; father, John Henderson; siblings, Rachelle Heller, Clay Henderson, Tammy Dickey and Eric Henderson; grandchildren, Hannah, Aidan, Haylie and Janice; as well as many nieces, nephews and countless other lives she touched over the years.

A celebration of life is being planned for a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you put on your favorite Beatles song, take a walk through the trees and make a donation to Tri-Lakes Humane Society (tri-lakeshumanesoc.org)

Cremation is under the direction of the Kissee-Schofield-Eakins Funeral Home, Forsyth, MO.