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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.
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Sheryl Leach | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sheryl Lyna Stamps December 31, 1952 Allen, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Author, television producer, television writer |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Known for | Creator of Barney & Friends[1] (1992–2010) |
| Spouse | James Edmond Leach (div. 2001) Howard Rosenfeld (m.)[2][3] |
| Children | 1 |
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]
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]
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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]
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]
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]
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