Eileen McIlwee
I will fondly remember Sharon for her kindness and generosity, especially to my parents. She always sent such thoughtful gifts to them for the holidays and together they enjoyed many laughs and travels. As my parents and Sharon shared the same grandchildren, they bonded over their love and admiration of Sean and Liam. May her keen wit and love of life live on in those who knew and loved her. May she rest in peace and joy.
6 months
ago
Ann Padilla
Robin Padilla
Sharon and I met while both employed as Child Welfare Workers for Alameda County Social Services. We bonded over our snarky sense of humor, a love of reading, appreciation of each other's crafty interests, and strong passion for the work we were doing. Over the years, Sharon and I had many a discussion on far-ranging topics. Although we enjoyed similar political leanings, she was much more educated than I in that arena, and I learned a great deal from her. We laughed, a lot. Sharon was intelligent, opinionated, articulate, and could occasionally shock me with her candor. She was also a kind, considerate and caring friend. I will miss her very much.
12 months
ago
Lee Collins
Sharon was my stepmother. Not too long after she and my Dad were married, I moved in with them, with her blessings. I was 15, she was 26. Sharon was funny, moody, bright, educated, and she and I had more similar music tastes than she had with my father, who was 16 years older than she. But we would laugh and play Monopoly and generally get along very, very well. A salesman once mistook me for her husband, to our mutual hilarity. Once, when I needed to be taken somewhere and all that was available was her County Car, she told me to sit in the back seat and look sullen, an expression with which I had some familiarity. For the most part, she tolerated my father's excesses (and mine). She enjoyed a cocktail, she had a circle of devoted friends (and does anything say more about a person?), and we always made each other laugh. She pushed me toward college, she complimented my singing ability, she encouraged me in so many ways. We chatted on the phone just a couple of months ago, and I thanked her for taking me in; she was a young wife with a vision of life that could not have included a gawky teenager with a wispy mustache, a tendency toward radical left politics and a cigarette habit. "Oh, no," she said. "You were great. It was wonderful." Thank you, Sharon.
12 months
ago
S Collins
[From Jane Miller]
I met Sharon at Occidental College. She was my first roommate and
became my second longest lifetime friend. We intertwined other family
members and I knew of her love and loyalty to her parents, to her brother,
to Lee, to son Scott, Walt, the Bains. There were many others that i don’t
include here. A one word description of Sharon could be “mischievous. “ I
learned somehow that as a 5 or 6 year old, Sharon wore a baseball cap
backwards. That image suited her, She was fast witted and never missed a
quick retort. In our middle years, Sharon and Walt, Scott and Julian and
two friends and I often took holidays together. One such outing to Dillon
Beach resulted in my buying a house here where I have lived for 27 years.
Playing games were part of our hilarity; Charades, Pictionary, cards, ping
pong, gambling, snowball throwing, kite flying to name just a few, We had
many, many good times. Have a safe journey, my friend.
12 months
ago
Joanne Bain
I met Sharon almost 50 yrs ago, the day her son and mine attended their first day at Kindergarten. Recently divorced, I had just moved into her neighborhood and she promptly took me under her wing. She showed me how single parents could actually have fun and I have never laughed so much before or since. She was hilariously funny and I'll always be grateful to her for helping me thru' those bad times, as well as giving my son a 'brother' for life!
about 1 year
ago
Douglas T
The story as told to me, though probably apocryphal, was that my mother, being the busy mom to 3, piano teacher, activist, and feminist preacher, spied a mother moving into the neighborhood with “But one child” and into such a nice big house. “Surely she could take the youngest while I accomplish some shopping.” Thus decided I was handed off to Sharon with a “Here's the boy, he's Doug” and “is there anything you need from the store?” I don't remember that first meeting, but apparently I ended up there quite a bit thereafter. These two women, from vastly different sides of the tracks found that they had quite a bit in common, and if they disagreed, both innately understood the art of debate and took to each other immediately.
As the boys grew we mutually ate the mothers out of house and home: microwave quesadillas and peanut butter sandwiches at one, and health nut cookies and homemade chocolate Bundt cake at the other. But sometimes it was crab and artichokes at one while Yorkshire pudding at the other. Whatever it was the houses were filled with food and love. And while my mother encouraged her young man to grow to modern manhood through the study of music, dance, and reflection upon poetry, Sharon taught me to use tools, listen to classic rock, appreciate dogs, know the value in helping a neighbor paint a door, trim a lawn, move some firewood, hold a ladder..., you get the idea.
She also understood the value in careful criticism and development of character through practice. We were encouraged to play poker politely, shoot pool without getting (too) rowdy, cook for each other, and develop the manly skill of cooking on a grill. And, if either of us were to fail too much in these activities (lessons?) there were some carefully dropped words but nothing discouraging. I was late to learn to ride a bike and Scott was determined to get me on two wheels and gain a little independence. When the day finally came that I was up and steady, it was Sharon I told first.
In my mid-teens I lost my mother, and it was not good. My sister and I were away, and had to return hurriedly. The first people I saw upon returning home were Scott and Sharon. Though I'll never know if an oath was sworn between these two friends, I have no doubt that both knew that if either should ever pass, the other would step in. Sharon took on that roll, making sure I was well, checking in on me if I wasn't there on a regular basis (which was infrequent) and in a twist, asking me about those things she knew my mother held dear and important. I spent many a night crashed on an extra bed or playing pool into the morning while a tired Sharon peeked around the corner reminding us that maybe we could be a bit quieter and there was more beef jerky in the pantry upstairs.
And for the woman who once gave me 50 cents “to just keep quiet until we get back home” I have a last word, Thank You.
about 1 year
ago
Julian B
Sharon was my second Mom, a pillar of my childhood. She made the world bigger, filled with hilarity, adventure and high spirits. Sharon opened her home to many and made it a center of celebration that was shared freely. She had a vision of how life could be and invited others to join in it.
about 1 year
ago