Sheryl Leach

Sheryl Leach
Born
Sheryl Lyna Stamps

(1952-12-31) December 31, 1952 (age 71)
Allen, Texas, U.S.
Occupation(s)Author, television producer, television writer
Years active1987–present
Known forCreator of Barney & Friends[1] (1992–2010)
SpouseJames Edmond Leach (div. 2001) Howard Rosenfeld (m.)[2][3]
Children1

Sheryl Lyna Stamps Leach (born December 31, 1952) is an American author and creator of the children's show Barney & Friends, along with Kathy Parker and Dennis DeShazer.

Education

Leach holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Southern Methodist University (SMU) and a master's degree in bilingual education from Texas A&M University - Commerce.[4]

Career

In the late 1980s, Sheryl Leach, along with Kathy Parker and Dennis DeShazer, came up with the concept for a children’s television show featuring a purple dinosaur named Barney. They believed that such a character could help young children learn important life lessons and skills in a fun and engaging way. Inspired by their own experiences as parents, they created the character and developed the show’s format.[5]

Leach, a former teacher, worked with Parker and DeShazer on what would become the TV show in 1987. Originally, the star of the show was envisioned as a teddy bear, but since her toddler son sparked an interest in dinosaurs, the character was changed to a dinosaur. Leach and her team created a series of home videos called Barney and the Backyard Gang. The videos were sold directly to the public.[6] In 1991, after Connecticut Public Television employee Larry Rifkin rented a Barney video for his daughter, he spoke with the creators about putting Barney on television.[7] In October of that year, production began on the new TV show, titled Barney & Friends, and in April 1992, it premiered on PBS. Barney went onto receive a number of awards and honors.[8]

Personal life

Leach’s initial marriage was to a man whose identity is undisclosed. Her second husband was James Edmond Leach before divorcing in 2001. Her third marriage was Howard Rosenfeld. She has a son named Patrick. In 2013, Patrick shot his 49-year-old neighbor in the chest with a .45 caliber handgun in Florida. He was arrested and sentenced to fifteen years in prison.[9]

Awards

Sheryl Leach’s contributions to children’s programming have garnered her numerous awards. Among other awards, Leach was nominated twice for Daytime Emmy Awards.[10] She holds an honorary doctorate from Texas A&M University–Commerce.[11]

Philanthropy

Leach and her life partner Howard Rosenfeld have sponsored projects through their philanthropy organization the Shei'rah Foundation, including a number of documentaries[12] and several youth-based media projects.[13]

In 2007, Leach and Rosenfeld designed and built The Smithy, a specialty retail outlet in the village of New Preston in Litchfield County Connecticut, that sells local artisanal foods and handicrafts.[14]

Leach and Rosenfeld are also involved with community development, land conservation projects, and farming organizations in Litchfield County. They own and support two organic farms and were credited by Litchfield Magazine as one of the initiators of the "farm to table" movement in the area.[15] They also co-founded the Farmer's Table Dinner program in 2011 together with Partners for Sustainable Healthy Communities.[16]

References

  1. ^ Hofmeister, Sallie (October 20, 1994). "A Blue Year for the Purple-and-Green Dinosaur". The New York Times. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  2. ^ | Community spirit and good eating
  3. ^ | The Farmer's Table looks to broaden its support of local agriculture
  4. ^ OAK CLIFF, Dallas, Texas - Famous People
  5. ^ Jhon, Amelia (6 June 2023). "Sheryl Leach: The Creative Genius Behind Barney & Friends". GoReads.info. Amelia Jhon. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  6. ^ Lawson, Carol (December 3, 1992). "Why Young Children Scream". The New York Times. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  7. ^ Loria, Keith (October 18, 2021). "Meet the CT man who brought Barney and UConn women's basketball to TV". CT Insider.
  8. ^ "IMDb". IMDb.
  9. ^ Barney's Creator Explained Why Her Son Was In The Shooting Case
  10. ^ Jhon, Amelia (6 June 2023). "Sheryl Leach: The Creative Genius Behind Barney & Friends". GoReads.info. Amelia Jhon. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Barney Creator Sheryl Leach Awarded Honorary Doctorate". The Pride. Vol. 4, no. 3. July 2000. Archived from the original on July 1, 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2008.)
  12. ^ "Chat the Planet". philanthropynewsdigest.org. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  13. ^ "Sheryl Leach". ASPIRE. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  14. ^ "In New Preston, a Local Focus". Ct Insider. December 10, 2009. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Farmer's Table". Litchfield Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  16. ^ "Praises help with 'glorious' Farmers Table". Ct Insider. August 8, 2012.