Sharon May McLeod

The youngest of 5 girls, originally of Tisdale, Saskatchewan she later made leaps to the big cities of Saskatoon, Vancouver and finally Edmonton, later discovering the beauty of Chilliwack, BC in her retirement.

Share was a wise, smart and determined woman whose strength, bravery, love and compassion made our family strong. A beloved wife to Ron for 54 years – their commitment to, and adoration for, each other is an exemplary testimony of love.

Share raised two daughters, Elisa and Vanessa, to be compassionate, strong women. As daughters, we were blessed with unconditional love and attentiveness. Mom was always looking out for our best interests. As someone who believed strongly in fairness, we were each supported to follow our own, distinctive paths. We continue to live with the many life lessons she taught us such as, "If you don't ask, the answer's always no.” One of her biggest sources of pride and joy was her grandson, “Dezzy”. They shared a special bond and she loved him “to the moon and back”. Grammy was always interested in Desmond's activities even if the BMX biking made her really nervous.

Sharon touched many lives through her short social work career and later as a teacher and early literacy specialist. She served the children and parents of Edmonton Public Schools, touching the lives of hundreds of students, fortunate enough to be in her loving care. Sharon’s deep and abiding faith aided by her strong belief in the good character of people wanting better for their communities found her leading the fight on many Social Justice issues: being an active member of a non-profit board for a new way of treating eating disorders including how to organize and support it; organizing communities in Saskatchewan to advocate for kindergarten in schools; demanding more realistic standards for family day homes and organizing a provincial day home society.

When MS became a larger part of her life, Share negotiated for local control and funding from the provincial MS Society. With this and the local committee she established, Chilliwack created a yoga group, educational sessions and a yearly conference. Sharon fought a brave battle against MS for more than 30 years. Betrayed by her body, Sharon refused to give up - she fought bravely and diligently to keep whatever strength and independence she could muster. Her resiliency is one of inspiration to us. While the disease slowed her down physically, she didn’t let it steal her ability to find love in family, friendship and joy in the simple things. One of the things that brought her great delight in her later years was keeping the Christmas tree up year round, and having her friend Darlene help her decorate it for different holidays, everything from Halloween to Canada Day. She found true happiness in sending holiday wishes along with photos of her seasonally decorated tree to stay connected with her family and friends.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the incredible team of care aides who provided Mom with exceptional care and friendship over the years, allowing her to fulfill her wish of staying at home, with her husband Ron.

A celebration of Share’s life will take place in the spring of 2025. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the MS Society of Canada in Share’s honour."