Obituaries

SHARON LEE SHEPHERD

October 1, 1957 – March 9, 2019

It is with a profound sense of loss that we announce the sudden death of our wife, daughter, sister, aunt and friend, Sharon Shepherd. Sharon left us far too soon in the early evening of Saturday, March 9, after an afternoon spent in one of her favourite pastimes: enjoying a meal and sharing laughter and stories with family.

The group of people mourning Sharon’s passing is long. Topping that list is the love of her life for the past 40 years, Peter Kusy. It includes her mother, Margaret (Una, Peg) Shepherd, sisters and brothers-in-law Dawn and Ian MacLean and Heather and Tim Demetrioff, and Peter’s sisters and brothers-in-law Kathy and Bob Gates and Marianne and Heinrich Rempel. Peter’s niece and husband, Deena and Ian Shanley, and Sharon’s nephew and wife, Cameron MacLean and Anna Pauls, are equally devastated by this sudden loss. One of Sharon’s greatest regrets would be not being here to watch her beloved grand-nephew, 4-year-old Wilder MacLean, grow up. Sharon was predeceased by her father David Shepherd in 2011. Her father’s partner, Lorelei Robins, is also mourning Sharon’s death.

Sharon was born in Ashern, Manitoba, and spent the first years of her life on the family farm in Spearhill. After a subsequent move to Winnipeg, she attended Linwood Elementary and Deer Lodge Junior High schools. One final family move returned the family to Manitoba’s Interlake, where Sharon attended and graduated from Teulon Collegiate, and made many life-long friends.

Sharon spent almost her entire career working in the accounting department of Old Dutch Foods, including a brief sojourn at the company’s office in Edmonton. It was at Old Dutch that she met Peter and established a wide group of close friends. Sharon made friends easily and protected her friends and friendships fiercely. That loyalty, a strong sense of justice, and a ready laugh were some of Sharon’s most defining traits.

Sharon’s life wasn’t without challenges. These included two battles with melanoma, and a decades-long struggle with bipolar disorder. She faced these challenges with courage, strength, and a determination that she would prevail. This makes Sharon’s sudden loss to an unexpected challenge—a massive heart attack—even harder to accept.

The family would like to thank the emergency room staff at the Grace Hospital, especially those on the resuscitation team that fought so hard to keep Sharon with us.

Flowers are gratefully declined. Those wishing to honour Sharon’s memory in some formal way are asked to make a donation to Cancer Care Manitoba, the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba, or the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Cremation has taken place. Friends and family are invited to attend a celebration of Sharon’s life at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, 2019 at the Norwood Hotel, 112 Marion Street, Winnipeg.

Condolences may be sent to www.wojciksfuneralchapel.com