Hampstead Heath pensioner Sheila Karsberg to be remembered in woodland funeral

The funeral of a much-loved Hampstead Heath character who was killed in a road accident is being held tomorrow.

Sheila Karsberg, 79, was hit by a cement mixer while walking between Pratt Street and Camden High Street on September 6.

Her relative Alan Karsberg organised the woodland funeral, which begins at 11.30am tomorrow morning at the Western Cemetery in Cheshunt.

A regular feature on the Heath – where she was often seen walking her beloved dog Milly Snowflakes – Sheila starred in the BBC documentary Wonderland: Walking With Dogs in October 2012.

The City of London Corporation, which manages the Heath, pledged to plant a tree outside Parliament Hill Cafe near the spot in which she would often sit.

In another tribute to Sheila, a vigil was held at the site of her death by the group Stop Killing Cyclists.

Little was known about Sheila, but her willingness to chat to dogwalkers and children on the Heath endeared her to many.

Maria Jakubiec, who works at the Parliament Hill Cafe, said staff will “really miss her”.

She added: “She was here twice a day with her dog,” adding she loved ice cream and milk for her dog.

Heath superintendent Bob Warnock, meanwhile, said Sheila was both “much-loved” and “well-known”.