Sheila Link, OWAA’S first woman president, died March 30, just a few months short of her 95th birthday.
Sheila joined OWAA in May 1968. She served on the board of directors 1973-1976 and as president 1981-1982.
Link grew up in Southern California, but in a family that wasn’t outdoorsy. In a biography written for OWAA, she described how her parents refused to let her have a gun, but at 9, she ‘cadged shots’ from her playmate’s BB gun and .22 rifles and fell in love with the smell of gunpowder and the roar of discharge.
Despite her parents’ lack of interest in the outdoors or outdoor activities, she spent a lifetime shooting, camping, canoeing and hunting throughout North America, Africa and South America. She shared her passion for outdoor sports through her writing and teaching.
She started by writing a weekly newspaper column on camping and branched out to freelance articles for publications such as Field & Stream, Outdoor Life and Sports Afield.
“The outdoor world has lost a truly great advocate,” said Bill Hilts Sr., a fellow past president of OWAA. “I was fortunate to be able to have called Sheila a good friend and watched her as she carved a trail that left an indelible mark on this fine organization. Sheila showed the way for ladies to become active members of the leadership of OWAA, and what a great plus that has been for this group.”
To read a full obituatary for Link, visit https://owaa.org/ou/2018/04/owaa-past-president-sheila-link-diedmarch-30-2018/. ♦
OWAA’s first woman president dies
