SHARON ANN HARRIET MARMUS (MARCHUK)

October 31, 1942 – December 9, 2022

With her three children Billy, Barry and Donna holding hands surrounding her, our beautiful mother Sharon passed away peacefully on Friday, December 9, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre in Fort McMurray, Alberta, at eighty years of age.

Left to mourn and cherish her beautiful memory are her three children Billy (Barb) Marmus, Barry (Wendy) Marmus and Donna (Darren) Davidson; her granddaughters Natalie (Jon) Pearson, Shantelle (Norm) Heiskanen, Julie (Kristien) Holmstrom, Carissa Marmus, Karlee Davidson (Jacob), Alli Davidson (Martin); as well as her great-grandchildren Audrey and Madisyn Pearson, Cali and Austin Heiskanen, and Holly and Jaycie Holmstrom. Sharon was looking forward to meeting her eighth great-grandchild in April 2023.

Sharon is survived by her in-laws Pete Gagne, Snooky Jarvis (Marchuk), Janette Roy, Donna Dalseg, Tim Marmus (Giselle); as well as numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Sharon was predeceased by the love of her life, her soulmate William Alexander Marmus (Bill); her parents Mae and George Marchuk; her brothers Gerry (Vi), Don (Jean), Dick (Lorna), Dennis and Steven Marchuk; and her sister Phyllis Gagne (Marchuk); as well as in-laws Mary and William Marmus, Marty Roy, and Colin Dalseg.

Sharon was the second youngest of a family of seven. She was raised in Sleeman, Ontario, in a small, but loving little home located behind the former Lowes Lumber Business. In her younger years Mom worked at various camps out at the lake. She met our Dad when she was a telephone operator in Rainy River while he was working as a clerk at the yard office for the CN Railway in 1959. They were married in 1961 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church. Mom and Dad welcomed their first son Billy Jr. into the world in 1962 and their second son Barry in 1964. Mom and Dad moved to Thunder Bay in 1966. During their time there, their daughter Donna was born in 1970. Bill and Sharon met many lifelong friends during their time spent living in Thunder Bay.

Mom and Dad returned to Rainy River in 1971 and bought the Shell Oil Business. They worked very hard together to build the family business – behind every successful man is a strong woman. They raised their three children surrounded by a lot of extended family and friends in their small, but vibrant hometown. Mom and Dad purchased an Island on Lake of the Woods in 1984. Our family is extremely blessed that we were able to enjoy many weekends at Marmus Island over the years. Mom and Dad loved to host people, and they generously welcomed anyone into their home for a visit as well as at the lake. They enjoyed numerous trips with great friends in their motor home to several places in Canada and the US. They also enjoyed many tropical destinations with Shell Canada over the years and met a lot of wonderful friends traveling.

Sharon was a member of the Catholic Women’s League and spent time curling and bowling with great friends in her younger years. She took care of several children throughout her lifetime. She was an outstanding homemaker, a loving and supportive wife to our Dad, the best mother and grandmother we could have ever wished for. She helped all of her children and grandchildren raise their families, teaching them love, acceptance and kindness. Mom would light up when her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were around. She dearly treasured every single one of them and did her very best to make each of them feel special and unique in their own way. Mom was an amazing listener and always gave the best advice. Her conversations always ended with her saying “I love you more.” She was always there to listen to a faraway phone call, to listen over a drink of gin with lots of ice and lemon. Sharon loved her happy hour and we enjoyed many happy hours together. It was always 5 o’clock somewhere when Mom was with us.

Mom had time. She took the time. She was smart and wise and was certainly the rock in our family. She was always whenever we needed her. She certainly devoted her entire life to family and she took so much pride in doing so. She was a selfless, generous and giving person. She loved buying things for her grandchildren, wrapping them up with her extra special touch. She just knew what everyone needed and always gave from the heart. She prepared several packages of jellies and jams, endless baking, especially at Christmas, and amazingly scrumptious food. There is absolutely no one who could take the place of Gramma Share Share.

Sharon enjoyed playing cards, Solitaire and Smear, doing jigsaw puzzles and crosswords, and keeping amazingly detailed journals over the years, capturing and preserving many memories. She loved to watch Wheel of Fortune with Dad, keeping in touch with friends and family on facebook, and her home was always meticulous and organized. When you walked in Sharon’s home there were always the warm and comforting smells of her cooking. She certainly knew how to make a house a home. Her presence alone did that for our family. Over the years, Mom and Dad loved to make pickles, jellies, jams, perogies, cabbage rolls and even homemade sauerkraut together. She took pride in teaching us family traditions and she made sure that we knew how to make all of her beautiful dishes so that we could keep passing on those timeless traditions within our families. She was a gardener, and had that special touch making her flower beds and pots look spectacular. Mom and Dad loved to work as a team, always doing everything together. We loved watching them in the kitchen together, laughing, joking and Sharon giving Bill orders.

Sharon loved to go fishing on Lake of the Woods, visit with friends, as well as hosting countless gatherings with friends and family. Mom loved to play guitar, enjoyed singing all of the oldies as well as to play and sing for her grandchildren. She loved to shop and she took extremely good care of herself, always looking so well put together, fresh and neat. She received many compliments on her shiny, blonde hair always done up so neatly. Mom was extremely organized and detailed. She was a teacher, a mentor and a friend. She had patience, understanding and love beyond measure. She was a classy lady. She was our beautiful mother and she will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered.

Mom and Dad were soulmates, they created a legacy of love and commitment for our family to follow. They were meant to be together for eternity. They were One.

Sharon will be lovingly remembered for her kindness, genuineness, her warm and caring personality and her ability to make everyone she met a little better for knowing her. We couldn’t be more proud to call her our Mom and we know that her and Dad could not live without each other. They will be in heaven for Christmas together.

Honorary Pallbearers are Sharon’s treasures, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren who she loved dearly.

A Celebration of Sharon’s life will be held at Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church in Rainy River, Ontario, at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 19, 2022, followed by a reception at the Legion. For those unable to attend, a live stream will be available at
https://fweb.tv/91738
.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rainy River Health Centre or a charity of your choice.

A LIFE LIVED FOR FAMILY IS A LIFE WORTHWHILE.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.brownfuneralhomekenora.com for the Marmus family.