David Michael Sharkey

It is with extreme sadness that we announce the passing of David Michael Sharkey, 39, from a stroke in conjunction with an aortic dissection caused by uncontrolled high blood pressure. Our Dave left this life on December 28th, 2021.

Dave was born in New York City on January 6th, 1982, to parents Linda Lowman of San Antonio and Jim Sharkey of Fairlawn, NJ. He is preceded in death by his maternal grandfather Melville (Papa) Hughes of San Antonio and paternal grandparents Gladys and James Douglas Sharkey.

Dave is survived by his parents Linda and Larry Lowman of San Antonio and Jim and Pam Sharkey of Fairlawn, brother Doug Sharkey and his wife Correy, Aunts and Uncles: Tricia and Tim Howard and Marq and Cindy Hughes, stepsister Amy Kozichek (Brian), step-brother Josh Brown (Amalia Rose) and his 98-year-old grandmother Dorothy (Mimi) Hughes of San Antonio. Dave also leaves behind so many cousins, nephews, students and friends we would not have enough space to print them all!

Early memories include the Nottingham house with mom, Larry-Dad and Doug. We had A LOT of pets at the time, including cats, snakes, gerbil, hamster, turtles, iguana, guineapig, and a frog that had a stroke and only swam in one direction! It was a happy house of fun activities and family functions; going to the ranch in Floresville was defining for the Sharkey-boys; they would swim in the pool, ride the four-wheelers, and be out in the fields kicking cow patties and going to the "cow graveyard" to pick up bones.

Other early memories include driving up and down I-35 to visit their father, Jim-Dad, in the Volkswagen Vanagon, and heading to the coast to one of our favorite places on earth, Port Aransas. With Jim-Dad, the boys would stay at the Tarpon Inn, where theyd watch the ships slide through the channel, and sail the Hobie-Cat in the gulf in regattas while camping on the beach.

One notable, life-affirming trip was walking the Camino de Santiago with his Mom, Linda. The pair set off way too late one day in the summer of 2014, walking with their 20 lb. packs up their first steep hill. They quickly found they had overestimated the heat and the angle of the hills in the countryside for the time of day, and almost became stranded, unable to reach the next town. It was a difficult intro for what was a 103-mile trek through the northern expanse of Spain. Despite the difficulty, they persevered, and finally reached Santiago after eight grueling days. The list of tribulations included oppressive flies that seemed to be drawn to bug spray, nonexistent toilet facilities (use your little trowel!), variable weather, and unknown lodging each night.

Another formative location for Dave was with his Jersey-family in Fairlawn, where they played games, "puzzled," and traveled into "the city" on fun excursions. As the family has grown, so has the fun! This now includes three nephews Lucas, Nate, and Zach, two of which were lucky enough to know and enjoy their Uncle Dave. He loved them so much. As Dave lived in Fairlawn with Jim-Dad and Pam for part of his life, he also grew close to his sister Amy and his cousins, Laura, Dana and Brenna.

Dave attended Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, Texas, where he took part in soccer and played the baritone saxophone in the band. Dave didnt know a stranger! He was very personable (this is a massive understatement!) and made many, many friends, many of whom he was still friends with at the time of his death, including Henry, Tom, Nick, Jake and Brandi. Dave and Doug were thick as thieves as wellthe Sharkey house was that gathering place for many "Heights folks"; the pool, the hot tub, and the "playroom" could be found populated with kiddos goofing off, watching movies, playing Golden-Eye, or just relaxing.

After graduation, Dave attended the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where he studied hotel and restaurant management. It was there that he formed a tight-knit group of wonderful people, who he was still friends with at the time of his passing. These include Pleickhardt, Boyce (the choice!), Lulu, Alicia, Brian, Matt and Mario to name a few. It was also here that the legend of "Texas-Dave" and the route-9 house was born! Well say that many "get-togethers" were had, and people far and wide across the UMASS area knew of the house and its fun-loving inhabitants. Due to an oversized cowboy hat Dave used to wear around the campus, people around town would ask if he was "Texas Dave." Dave did well in his studies and graduated with his degree in 2004. How Dave graduated in only four years will never be known!

Upon graduating from UMASS, Dave began his first career, working in hotels in myriad locations over many years. He worked for Hyatt in both San Antonio and later in New York, where he was promoted to the night manager of the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan. It was here that Dave learned the intricacies of customer service, providing "legendary" service to such characters as Jon Voight and Snooki (its a long story). Dave also worked a stint on a cruise liner serving the Hawaiian Islands. Dave was very good at his job. The issue was, he found hospitality to be hospitable for those on the outside of the desk, but not inside. After a brief stint working for Zachary and the state department on the US embassy complex in Beijing (yes, he was a world traveler!), he made the craziest, bravest decision of his life...he decided to teach school!

After simultaneously working in a call center while going to school online, Dave began working as an elementary school teacher in the small town of Dilley, Texas. He worked as a teacher for six years, culminating in his assignment teaching 4th grade. Mr. Sharkeys class was a fun class! He blended interesting and challenging schoolwork by creating hands-on lessons while incorporating real-world examples from videos and websites. Dave knew his students well, as the many notebooks and journals in his home can attest, and he was always making lists, jotting notes about his kids, and planning engaging lessons. The kids enjoyed being in his class! Everyone in the building loved Mr. Sharkey, and his presence in the hallways and in classrooms was ever-present. Despite being challenging work, he loved it. He once remarked "The worst day teaching was better than the best day in hotels." It was all about helping his students and enjoying his colleagues. He has made a lasting imprint on the faculty and students at Dilley Elementary.

Davey really cared about other people and our world and was often worried about his students well-being. He also fretted over issues through a larger lens, including the environment and social issues he cared about, such as equality and social justice. If you ever got Dave going about these topics, get ready! He could go on and on, speaking with a booming voice, his baritone overpowering others in the room, his hands moving animatedly.

Dave was beloved by everyone he methe had a way with words and was the consummate storyteller; he could command a room and have everyone in stitches or on the edge of their seats. We would anticipate his arrival for a family gathering, as this meant the entertainment was about to commence! He was just so much damn fun to be around! A beloved son, brother, and friend to all.

Some of Daves favs: Jimmy Buffett; Port-A with Jim-Dad; floating the river with Jake and Oliver; coffee with mom and Larry-Dad; puzzling; grab-ass; sis-pants; Bramy; the couple; mi-mo; pougers; padre; mommers.

To close, it would not be fair to write a discourse on David without mentioning one final important love of his lifemovies. To call Dave a movie-buff would be like calling Mount Everest a hill. He loved watching movies, discussing movies, critiquing movies, and even attempting to write movies. Dave and Nick spent years writing, debating movie trends, and arguing issues (were the prequels "good movies?"). When younger, one of Doug and Daves favorite things to do was rent movies from Hollywood video and watch them until the wee-hours of the morning. He had his favsThe Fifth Element, anything Quentin Tarantino, anything Wes Anderson (The Life Aquatic!), Cloud Atlas, the Matrix, and anything by Aaron Sorkin. Dave had a love affair with the big screen. He often took his Mimi to "the show", and would include Mom, sometimes Larry-dad, and Correy, Doug, or Brandi when they were in town. It would be a challenge to find a film that Dave had NOT seen, or a trailer he had not yet viewed and critiqued. Dave even went back to school and took film courses; Mom thinks he should have pursued this world. He had an epic relationship with film.

Dave, we will miss you so much! To know Dave was to know you were loved he always told his friends and family he loved them. He could argue with you and was not afraid to tell you what he thought, or if he disagreed with you. But he was honest, he was loyal, he was funny, he was empathetic, he was kind.

Dave was somewhat into metaphysics, and often asked the big questions. So here goes:

Where did you go, Dave? What happens when we die?

In the words of Keanu Reeves: "I know that the ones who love us will miss us."

Thanks, Neo.

We miss you Davey.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, January 2nd at 2:00 pm. at University United Methodist Church 5084 De Zavala Road

Dave would want you to dress casually, so please do! If you cannot attend, you can live stream at Theu.online.church

To honor Dave a fund is being established in his memory at Dilley ISD. If you would like to contribute, make your check to:

The David Sharkey 4th Grade Book Fund (Dilley ISD)

Mail to:

Dilley ISD c/o Kelli Dubose 245 Hwy. 117 Dilley, TX 78017