Sharkey Family Memories

Michael was fun loving and full of life. One of my fondest memories of Michael occurred in the back yard at the Turner house, a place that was a frequent gathering spot for the Sharkey, Haugen and Turner families. As you all know, Both Michael and Tinalynne love kids. Tinalynne however, was only blessed with one child: Michael. Michael was the biggest kid in the bunch. On this particular evening, all of our kids were running around the back yard chasing after Michael. When they would catch him, they would jump on his back one by one. Michael would then thrash about like a wild bronco giving the kids rides. One child after another after another rode to their heart’s content. This went on literally for hours. In the end it was the kids who wore out first, leaving the wild bronco untamed and unbroken.

That untamed and unbroken spirit continued to live in Michael as he battled cancer. Nikki’s favorite memory of Michael came just this last summer. Once again it was an outing with the Turners, Haugens, and the Sharkeys. This outing took place at our cabins on Flathead Lake. Although Michael was starting to slow down and was fatigued from the constant onslaught of chemotherapy, he was always up for a little fun and never wanted to miss out on anything, especially if the kids were involved. This particular afternoon, we decided to load the whole gang up for a picnic lunch on Wild Horse Island. We all spent the afternoon eating on shore while Michael searched for treasures with the Turner boys and spent time teaching Nicole how to skip rocks. Michael always seemed to take the time to show the kids how much he cared about them. Michael always seemed to take the time for everyone; we will miss him very much.

Rod, Lisa, Nikki and A.J.