Rosemary Clara Sharpe
April 12th, 2020
Rosemary Clara Kathleen Sharpe (Murphy) died at the Red Deer Michener Extendicare April 12, 2020 at the age of 88 years due to diabetes complications. Rosemary was born September 3, 1931 in Saint John, New Brunswick, where she grew up. She trained as a meteorologist and worked for DoE in Montreal in late 1950s. She married Harold Sharpe August 6, 1960 in Calgary and moved across Canada with her new family, living in Penhold and Red Deer AB, Gimli MB, Greenwood NS and settled in Red Deer in 1974, in their first and only house, until a hip fracture in November 2019 required her hospitalization. Rosemary always cared for orphaned animals, spared nothing to help family, and loved to knit or crochet for others. She knitted 100-200 pairs of mittens every year for shelters and people in need. Mom loved to bake and always had fresh cookies, cakes, pies and hot tea for any visitor. She insisted on making Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas dinners for family right up until Thanksgiving 2019. Rosemary was a faithful member of St. Mary’s Parish CWL and helped with dozens of church functions. Over the years Rosemary enjoyed reading, meeting friends at Bingo, gardening, feeding birds, and enjoying the sunshine in a chair in her back yard with a cup of tea. Mom loved listening to music and singing Irish songs. She was a witty and intelligent woman who loved classical and science fiction literature and wrote and recited poetry all her life. Rosemary is survived by her children Sean (South Hazelton, BC) (wife Heather Harris), Niall (wife Dorothy Fast) and Kevin (wife Barbara Maxwell) (Red Deer) and Colleen (White Rock, BC); sister Barbara and husband Jerry McCarthy(Hamilton) and sister-in-law Ruth (Saint John); grandchildren Erich Sharpe, Ciara Murphy (husband Perry Smith) and Katie Murphy of Red Deer; and great grandchildren Dakota, Shianne, Ryan and Jennifer. Rosemary was predeceased by her husband Harold (2013), her parents Clara Bourque (Powers) and Arthur Murphy, brother Art and sister Marie (husband Tom Pierce). Special thanks to family friend Jeffrey Waine for support in caring for mom, cats and the house in recent years. Thank you to the many hospital staff, nurses, doctors and Extendicare staff for helping care for our mother since November.
Memorial services for Rosemary and Harold will be held at a future date after the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Rosemary wished to be cremated. Memorial condolences and messages may be made by email to sean.sha@telus.net or via Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Services (www.MyAlternatives.ca).
Our sincerest and deepest condolences to all the family of Rosemary (and Harold )Sharpe on her the passing. Extra special wishes of condolence to my dear friends, Niall Sharp (Rosemary's son) wife, Dorothy Fast. When I think about your mother, Rosemary, I shall remember the smell of fresh cookies or baking that would be served with the infamous cup o' tea, and often be sitting on the table waiting, by the time you could get your coat off. She was well-educated and never lost her thirst for all things knowledge. Rosemary always made herself aware of the major points of the various sides in an issue. Therefore, she always ready to partake in intelligent argument or good-nature debate about a current event or public issues in the world, in the country, in the province or in local happenings. She suffered the "opinions of others" often those less informed than she, with grace, dignity and excused those who needed it, with well-wishes of "Lord Love 'em". I shall miss her and seeing the bright light she brought to this world as an example of maintaining a healthy respect for the differences in opinions by others. I am so thankful she left her love (for "rabble-rousing: discussions" and the self-confidence to ended an argument with an 'agreement to disagree'), to carry on through all of you, especially Niall by great debate partner. With sympathy again, Linda Armagost.