Sidney M. Sharples

Sid came to California for the first time in 1933, driving across the country with his mother to visit family. He so loved California that he vowed to come back; and he did return, first in the Army Air Corp stationed at March Field in Riverside and then permanently when he was transferred with American Airlines to Los Angeles in 1948. He worked as an airline mechanic, a dream job for a man with a passion for and an extensive knowledge of airplanes.He could identify many aircraft by the sound of the engine, and then could describe technical qualities of that plane.His airplane library included a DC3 repair manual. After his retirement he developed his woodworking hobby into a mastery of turning, making fine furniture, bowls and platters as well as 200 amazingly intricate spinning wheels. He and Genevah traveled extensively, attending Elderhostels or woodturning workshops for him and spinning or weaving seminars for her.Their lives, as well as their hobbies, meshed in such a way as to enrich both, and you can not speak of one without including the other. It was while he was a volunteer at the Red Cross that Sid developed his penchant for humor.Previously a laconic man, he became a jokester and a prankster acquiring a supply of props to use at any time and a supply of jokes to share. He might wear a red clown nose to the dinning room, or a saw that appeared to be embedded in his skull or he might don a multicolored wig to wear to a doctor's appointment. He lived a rich, full life, occasionally tripping over his own feet, and ultimately reaching the end with grace and peace. There will be a memorial gathering at Timber Ridge McKinleyville on Wednesday October 6th at 2:00 PM for those wishing to help celebrate his life. Arrangements are under the direction of Pierce Mortuary Chapel, Eureka, CA 707-442-3751, www.piercemortuarychapels.com.

Published in Eureka Times-Standard from October 5 to October 6, 2010