Aubrey Rachel Sharkey

Aubrey Rachel Sharkey, age 95, of Gaylord, Michigan went home to be with the Lord on Monday, December 31, 2012. She was lovingly surrounded at Tendercare of Gaylord by her family, church friends, minister and Hospice. Throughout the day she was blessed with phone calls and prayers from other family members. A Memorial Service will be held for Aubrey on Sunday, January 20th at 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 215 S. Center, Gaylord MI celebrated by Rev. John Naile. The family will receive friends from 2-3 p.m. All are invited for a meal at the church following the service. Aubreys family would be honored for you to attend her Memorial Service and also share your memories, thoughts, anecdotes, condolences, stories and photos of Aubrey with her family by way of her on-line tribute page/guest book at www.charlesrlux.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the United Methodist Church of Gaylord MI. Aubrey was born February 23, 1917, in New Market TN, daughter of James Aubrey and Miriam Samantha Jane (Jones) Dinwiddie. Her father passed away two months before her birth. Aubrey was the youngest of eight children. As a child Aubrey moved to Detroit MI with her family and graduated from Southeastern High School in 1936. While at Southeastern, she received an art scholarship from the Detroit Business College, Commercial Arts School. Aubrey married Jack Sharkey on July 24, 1937. They raised their family in Taylor MI. She was a loving, involved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Although she sometimes worked various jobs outside the home, she received great pleasure from her extensive volunteer work in the Taylor schools as an always willing aide to the teachers, fundraisers and PTA President. She was honored for her years of diligent work as a campaign head with the March of Dimes and presented with a ten year plaque of service by Charlie Gehringer of the Detroit Tigers. She had a love for the Lord and used her talents, especially with youth, as a Sunday school teacher, a Methodist Youth Fellowship coordinator and a church camp counselor. After retirement, Aubrey and Jack moved to Weidman MI. Later after Jacks death, she moved to Gaylord MI. She was active in the United Methodist Womens group in Taylor, Weidman, Indian River and Gaylord MI. She was a voracious sewer, knitter and a talented artist leaving many of her quilts, oil paintings and stained glass works behind with her children and grandchildren. She loved family, the outdoors and camping. She was a remarkable wife, mother, and grandmother who will be greatly missed by family and friends. Aubrey is survived by her three children, Miriam Mim (Dave) Wellman of Indian River MI, David (Carolyn) Sharkey of Vanderbilt MI, and Jacklyn (Gary) Sharpe of Waterford MI; six grandchildren, Robin, Kelly, Tony, Penny, Jim and Bob; sixteen great-grandchildren, Keegan, Mitchell, Garrit, Kathryn, Steven, Sarah, Joseph, Alexandra, Austin, Angela, Annabelle, David, Taylor, Nathan, Jacob and Ryan and only a few months away from a great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her husband, John (Jack) Albert Sharkey, five brothers, Clyde, Brown, Glen, Bob and Tommy Dinwiddie; two sisters, Dora Morris and Frances Pryor; one grandson, Michael Sharkey.