Sharon Clark

When Sharon Clark walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Sharon was and how she impacted those around her. Sharon was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Sharon wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Sharon was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

      Sharon was born on April 14, 1946 in Richards Landing, St. Joseph Island, Ontario. She was the daughter of Henry and Stella Mitchell. Sharon was raised in Sylvan Valley then moved to Sault Ste. Marie. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Sharon might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Sharon was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

      Sharon was raised with five siblings. Her siblings included: Roger, Rhonda, Bev, Tom and Brian. Sharon was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Sharon was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Sharon well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

      During her high school years, Sharon responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. Sharon was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Sharon absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Sharon, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Sharon a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Her favorite class in high school was home economics.

       Sharon married Allan Clark on September 21, 1968 at First Baptist Church in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Rev. Don MacGregor officiated. Sharon's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Allan Clark's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Sharon was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

      Sharon was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Sharon, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Clark home. Sharon's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Sharon was blessed with three children: Mitchell Edgar, Joanne Sharon, Erin Lorraine. They were also blessed with ten grandchildren, Brett, Blake, Blair, Rylee, Michael, Paige, Brooklyn, Aidan, Clark, Isabella.

      Sharon was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was clerical/administration at the P.U.C., Model Dairys, Alison Law Firm, and Mary Kay. Sharon was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Sharon had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Sharon's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

      Because Sharon loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were her grandchildren, gardening, cooking, entertaining and playing games. Sharon had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Sharon's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

      Sharon derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included cross country skiing. Sharon was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were hockey, figure skating and any sports her grandchildren were in.

      Because Sharon was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, she always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Sharon's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made her a great asset. Sharon found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Sharon was an active member of several community groups, serving on committees for the Richards Landing Womens Institute, Community Nights and Home and School Committee.

      Sharon was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of First Baptist Church and Island Bible Chapel. During that time, she patricipated in Galilean Bible Camp, and the Annual Holy Walk in Bruce Mines. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

      Sharon's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Sharon took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included camping with her children, Florida vacations with friends and family and summer family vacations.

      Sharon was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. She had a Mixed Lab, and very faithful pet "Mandy", who was a best friend for 11 years.

      When Sharon's retirement finally came in 1997 it was due to back surgery, Sharon handled it the way she usually did. She adapted and, like everything in her life, made it satisfying. Because she was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Sharon to master. In retirement, she found new pleasure in spending time enjoying her grandchildren and husband. Even in retirement, Sharon continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

      Sharon Clark passed away on December 17, 2009 at the Algoma Residential Community Hospice. Sharon fought a brave battle against cancer. She is survived by her husband Allan, mother Stella, children: Mitchell (Marcy), Joanne (Steve) and Erin (Matt), ten grandchildren, sister Rhonda, brothers Roger, Bev, Tom, Brian. Funeral Services were held at the Arthur Funeral Home and Cremation Centre. Sharon was laid to rest in Richards Landing Cemetery.

      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Sharon. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Sharon Clark for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Sharon was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.