Sharon Ann Matysiak

April 14th 1981 - December 17th 2025

Sharon Ann Matysiak (French) was born on April 14th, 1981, to the loving arms of her young parents, Tracy Smuk and Jim French. A few years later, she got her first best friend, Andrea, born by the same parents in 1985. Sharon took well to being a big sister. She protected, teased, fought with and fought for her. She loved her unconditionally.

As life continued, Sharon grew to be a petite, gregarious girl who loved music and art. She started teaching herself how to play piano to Tori Amos songs, holding mini concerts with Andrea, singing, laughing and playing.

More life happens, her parents split and she welcomes a new sister Sarah in 1993, to a different father. An adolescent Sharon takes on a big sister, motherly, mentoring role with Sarah, that never stopped.

At 12, life becomes dark, but she perseveres. She protects her sisters like a lioness. And when the going became rough, Mom, Sharon, Andrea and Sarah form a strong pack, protecting, defending and loving each other no end.

Years move on and during the last year of high school (Courtice High), she gets a co-op placement at Durham Television (Rogers Television), hoping to learn TV production so she can go to film school the following year. She’s promised that there will be more students at her placement, mostly boys. Everyday she dresses to impress, but for some reason, she’s the only one for a few weeks. On the first day she dressed down, in a navy blue crew cut t-shirt, baggy blue splash pants, with sunglasses, tucked in her hair she meets her future husband. Matt Matysiak. She immediately takes to teaching him the ropes, bossing him around and getting him acquainted to the placement.

As the months pass, Sharon develops a crush on Matt, dropping hints to him in a joking manner “Hey maybe YOU could be my prom date”. Matt thought Sharon was pretty, smart and fun, but never thought a girl as perfect as her would ever find a lug like him attractive. Her obivious passes sail over his head. Dumbass.

Frustrated, on the last week of the placement, she offers up a double date, she’d bring a friend he met recently, and he would bring one too, a guy she met the day before. Matt agrees, not knowing what to say. Sharon whispers “Just so YOU know, you’re MY date.” Matt instantly fell in love. They start dating June 30, 1999.

A beautiful and fun summer romance follows in 1999. Sharon is planning on moving to Toronto for Film School. Matt has a scholarship at Durham, but decides he wants to be with her forever. They move out in late 2000, go to film school together arm in arm, hand in hand, heart to heart.

Years pass, there’s a lot of love, and learning to be loved. Her career path changes, life changes, but they change together. On a trip to Niagara Falls in 2006, he proposes. On June 16, 2007 they get married. In the spring of 2008, Sharon becomes pregnant with their shining star, Abigail Maria Matysiak. As they begin planning, Matt’s grandmother/Baba, Maria Pacak who was his sole family member becomes ill. Matt comes up with a plan. Sharon, Matt & Baba (and Abby) will move into a house in Durham. Maria loved Sharon like her own granddaughter, Sharon loved her back like her own too.

On February 9th, 2005, Abby arrives. Sharon nearly passes away hours after childbirth. Matt begs for more time with his wife, because he knew she’d be a great mother and they needed her more than ever. She can’t miss this, not now. There was still work she needed to do.

She pulls through and has an amazing run of almost 17 years as a Super Mom to Abby, an amazing wife to Matt, a loving sister to Andrea and aunt to Andrea’s son Parker, a big sister and mentor to Sarah. A loving friend to Sandra (of 40 years, wow), a godmother to Avaya and adopted aunt to Ariana (Sandra's daughters). She was also best friends with Samantha Wall, who sadly passed a few years ago. Her heart still ached to the end.

Her last job of a few years was as an amazing caregiver at various YMCA daycares, caring and loving children who weren’t her own. She loved caring for kids, and would constantly tell Matt stories about they're daily folies.

Her bonds grew with her Mom and her Dad. She made every effort to include both in her life, hoping to learn more from them.

She loved them deeply.

Sharon was the brightest star in Matt and Abby’s sky. She took the job of being a mom very seriously. She unloaded all the love she had to Abby. Over the past 16 or so years, she helped raise Abby to be a strong, self-assured young lady. She helped her navigate though heartbreak, sickness, confusion about life. She never disciplined with a heavy hand, but with a light heart. Abby and Sharon were inseparable. She took Abby to her first rock concert to see Tegan and Sara, on a whim when Abby was 7. Which would continue, randomly and spur of the moment through out her life. They’d go thrift shopping, driving trips to weird places, always stopping to take a picture of a beautiful landscape, always making time to stop and pet a cat or a dog.

A few months ago, Sharon wrapped herself up on planning the best sweet 16 party ever for her daughter. She spent hours blowing up balloons, making treats, getting gifts making sure everything was perfect. It was, it so was. Abby was Sharon’s everything, she was excited for Abby to grow into a strong, independent young woman, but dreaded the day she’d move away. It's bitter sweet she won't have to go through that.

Matt and Sharon made an amazing team. Despite the love, respect, sense of humor and love for their daughter, they were very different people. Matt was an introvert, Sharon an extrovert. Matt never really had siblings, she had two. She loved talking about random nonsense, Matt was thoughtful. She loved soapy doctor shows and tv dramas, Matt preferred a podcast and a game controller. They balanced each other. Matt took on the financial responsibility; she took on the caregiving. She encouraged Matt to seek help for his depression, sticking by him at his lowest most destructive points. She gave him unconditional love, and he did so in return. The thing that attracted her to him was how he made her laugh. Everyday, there'd be a sarcastic comment, off coloured joke that would make her smile. It made him feel good too. The past few years have been a highlight of love, appreciation and respect for each other. They started planning what to do in the next twenty-six years together, to make it as fulfilling as the twenty-six they had just shared.

Then on December 16th, Sharon started on a rapid decline from a flu that she and Abby had been fighting off for around a week. In the day’s prior, she showed no obvious signs of suffering from anything outside of a standard flu, but…

From being picked up at 4pm on Tuesday by paramedics to arrive at Bowmanville Lakeridge, to be being sent to Toronto General hospital the next morning at 7am, to declining rapidly, with her heart stopping at 9:30pm on Wednesday, she had little over 24 hours of strength left in her. She fought so hard… then she faded away.

Her star shone brightly on everyone who had the privilege of knowing her, and in through the course of her life, she filled her loved one’s hearts with everything she had, she helped Matt become a better man, she nurtured Abby to be a strong, beautiful woman. She loved her parents & grandparents. She loved and had so many warm memories with her sisters, and spread her love to friends.

Her legacy lives on in hearts she touched, and they will pass on that same love to others. She taught us to give all the love we have to everyone we love.

Sharon, I love you forever and a million. Thank you for being my wife, my best friend, the amazing mother to our daughter and being so patient and loving me as much as you did. You’ll always be with us. Rest easy. – Matty.

Donation's can be kindly made to the Bethesda House