BRODIE, Sharon Elaine (nee Ballantyne)
April 4, 1956 – April 6, 2022
It is with great sadness that we announce Sharon’s passing, at the age of 66, taken far too soon by COVID. Despite being triple vaccinated, the anti-rejection drugs required for her kidney transplant still left her vulnerable. Sharon was predeceased by her parents George and Dorothy Ballantyne, and is survived by her husband Grant, children Andrea (Jordan) and Michael (Frida) and grandchildren David and Jaxon.
Sharon was a loving wife, devoted mother, grandmother, sister and aunt, tireless volunteer, fierce competitor, and ardent traveler. As a result, she was blessed to have been a part of at least three families.
In her immediate family she had five siblings, Rob (Ruth), Don (Linda), Fraser (Gaye), Nora (Derek), and Scott (Kate), all of whom survive her. It is likely that they all helped fuel her competitive spirit. She was born in Victoria, but moved to Vancouver at the age of six. Many of her fondest childhood memories centered around the summers she always spent at their lakeside cabin at Shawnigan Lake, just north of Victoria. As a child, she also cultivated a life-long love of card games, particularly Crib, after countless games on the Shawnigan porch. She was also expert at ping pong, having honed her skills with innumerable hours playing her older brother Fraser, such that she was almost always a cruise ship finalist/winner. She was married to husband Grant for 43 years, and they shared a wealth of happy memories. They were deeply in love, best friends, and reveled in sharing life’s experiences together. For her, though, the happiest memory was certainly the pleasure of seeing both her children grow up, marry and be happy.
She was also a 27-year member of the Royal Columbian Hospital Auxiliary’s family. Because of her background in banking and handling cash, she was immediately drawn to the hospital lottery booth. In fact, she spent her entire Auxiliary career with the lottery booth, initially as one of the volunteers manning it, rising up to eventually managing the booth. Almost all of the RCH ticket-buying patrons know her by face or name, as she was a fixture there and always had a cheery demeanor. Sharon received great satisfaction from being able to contribute in her own way to the great work the Auxiliary does in funding hospital projects.
If that weren’t enough, Sharon was an avid and skilled tennis player. She was an almost 30-year member of the Burnaby Tennis club, which was her third family. She not only played, but in another example of her tirelessness, served on the board for a number of years. Sharon’s competitive nature drew her to the inter-club league play as well, and she participated in league every year she was a member, often as team captain. As her game improved she rose up though the divisions, ending up ultimately at her natural place as the ‘top court’ in Division 2. Her long commitment to league has meant that she is well known to many of the women tennis players in the lower mainland. Sharon also participated in tournament play all around the lower mainland, normally playing at 3.5 doubles, and was often the champion. Her love of tennis carried over into watching pro tennis as well. She was pleased to be able to attend the French open twice, and for more than 10 years was a regular attendee at Indian Wells.
Finally, Sharon loved to travel. Some of these trips were with her husband driving all over North America and Europe, but her favorite way to vacation was on a cruise ship. She and Grant travelled far and wide. From Tahiti to Iceland, the Galapagos to Moscow, Barbados to Svalbard, and Istanbul to Inverness, to name a few. She was always looking for a new adventure, and was particularly disappointed that the current pandemic so interfered with this joy. In her younger years she even travelled with sister Nora to the Montreal Olympics to watch Nadia Comaneci score the first perfect 10.
It is truly sad that such a bright light was taken so soon. She improved the lives of everyone she touched and will be greatly missed. In the end, when she realized that she might succumb to this terrible disease, she still had a positive message. She wanted everyone to know that she had had a truly wonderful life, and loved every single person who shared it with her. I am sure she would also find it wonderful if this is the way we remember her.
Given that she died of COVID it would be inappropriate at this time to bring people into close contact to celebrate her life, especially as this this would surely be a large group. We may hold a celebration of her life on the other side of this pandemic, but instead please honor her by making a contribution in her name to the Royal Columbian Hospital Auxiliary Registered Charity. This is most easily done at the RCH gift shop or mail to RCH Auxiliary, Royal Columbian Hospital, 330 E Columbia St New Westminster BC V3L 3W7.