Sharon A. Rogers Dickson

“Anything is possible.” That is what Sharon Adele Dickson believed about life. She was a creative woman, who seemed to be able to find a solution for any difficulty confronting her. She had faith in her ability to find those solutions. Sharon thoroughly enjoyed understanding how things worked. She possessed an inquisitive, confident and rational nature matched with a versatile and agile mind. Sharon was a person who believed that she could achieve whatever she set out to do.

Her parents were Thelma and James Rogers. Sharon was raised in Toronto, Ontario by her mother Thelma. Thelma had help from her brother ‘Uncle Willie’ (Bill Cook) and her mother ‘Nana’ (Adelaide Cook). Sharon had a half sister, Debbie and although they were 10 years apart they had a special relationship. Sharon showed her ingenuity even as a child. When she was confronted with a problem, Sharon could develop an imaginative solution and she derived satisfaction from knowing she had that ability.

As a young girl, Sharon was always curious, resourceful and interested in anything original. Sharon did very well in figure skating and enjoyed taking part in the Skating Carnivals. While growing up one of her best friends was Patsy Rideout.

Sharon was socially resourceful, an expressive person who was willing to try new things. These qualities drew a lively circle of friends around her. Always interested in her friends’ activities and interests, Sharon was uncritical of her acquaintances. She was sought after by people who recognized that she was generous with her time and energy, and these same friends found Sharon to be very stimulating company. Over the years she and Bob opened their home to many. Sharon's humor and curiosity were contagious for those around her. Later in life, she became friends with Grace, Diane, Valerie and Bernie, as well as many, many others. Her daughter Michelle was one of her best friends.

Sharon was adept at devising original and creative ways to enhance and improve the marriage partnership. She was always planning new trips, weekends away as well as dinner parties. Sharon was seldom a critical person, but rather the one who was able to bring out the best in others. Sharon was an entertaining conversationalist who was quick to respond to her spouse’s needs. She was a vibrant personality and she enjoyed verbally sparring with her husband Bob who was also her best friend. She was very perceptive in recognizing others’ feelings.

Sharon's remarkable talent for being inventive influenced her relationship with the children. She would create original, clever and fun games for the kids and had a knack for finding ways to make everyday events, even chores, enjoyable to them. Sharon was blessed with one child and three step children, her daughter, Michelle, and her stepchildren, Kathy, Roxy and Danny. They were also blessed with five grandchildren, Declan, Kiley, Bianca, Evan and Emma. Someone who was quick to laugh, Sharon found it easy to spend lots of time with her children, but she was never overbearing or guilty of pushing herself on them. Sharon loved all kinds of music and dancing. Rock music was her favorite but she was very open to and enjoyed any music that her kids or grandkids were interested in.

Sharon was definitely in her element in her work place. She could easily create new and innovative ideas, and incorporate those changes to bring a fresh approach to any work situation. Sharon was a focused worker with a strong drive for achievement. She could assess all of the options before her and, using her analytical skills, could comfortably find answers that no one else had even considered. Her personal initiative inspired those around her. Her primary occupation was as a Sales Rep at Oshawa This Week where she worked for over 20 years. Sharon also worked as a Real Estate Agent and in the restaurant business waitressing and bartending for many years. When she was younger she had several different jobs from working in a bank to teletype operator. Sharon was always a great team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done. Sharon had many friends in her co-workers, customers and clients.

Sharon's passion for finding a better way to do things was often an end in itself for her. In fact, that interest by itself became something of a hobby for this perpetual problem solver. Since Sharon was always searching for new and unusual activities, she developed many interests and leisure pursuits. Some of the things she became an “expert” in might come as a surprise to those who knew her, but most friends and family understood that Sharon simply couldn’t be limited to just a few activities or ideas. Her favorite pursuits were listening to loud music, shopping, walking and gardening.

Sharon's demeanor and eternally positive outlook served her well. Sharon was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching figure skating whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list was watching her grandson play hockey as well as many other sports. Sharon rarely missed a practice and watched all of Declan’s hockey games.

With all of her talents, her ingenuity, her solutions and inventiveness, it is no surprise that Sharon received recognition for her competence. With the drive and ability to meet any challenge, Sharon accumulated a long list of achievements throughout her life. Some of her most prestigious awards included "Best Bartender" awards and "Sales Achievement" awards.

Having the opportunity to visit and explore a new place always intrigued Sharon. Traveling and going away on vacations offered yet another opportunity for Sharon to expand her ever-growing inventory of knowledge. She loved weekends in Huntsville and being away with her family. She also loved planning her trips to Ireland. Banff Alberta, Victoria BC, Florida and Colorado were also some of her favorite vacation spots.

Sharon was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Sharon's favorites was Thomasina, the cat. They were best friends for seventeen years. Her family was rounded out by her "Grand-Dog" Junior which she loved to take for walks.

Sharon never stopped exercising her inventive talents. She found great pleasure in working in the garden with her husband. She loved to read a good book and a new People Magazine. Sharon continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled.

Sharon passed away on April 3, 2010 at Lakeridge Health. She fought a brave battle against cancer. She is survived by her husband Bob, her daughter Michelle, her stepchildren Kathy, Roxy and Dan, and her grandchildren Declan, Kiley, Bianca, Evan and Emma. Services were held at Oshawa Funeral Home Chapel.

During her lifetime, nothing appeared impossible to Sharon. She met the words “it can’t be done” with the enthusiastic challenge of a “wanna bet” attitude. Sharon was able to recognize the possibilities a new idea held, even when those around her could not. For Sharon, the traditional way of doing things fell short of her expectations, especially if there were original and untested methods for handling a challenge. For Sharon Adele Dickson, the fun of living her life could be found in the challenge.