SHARON (FRIEDA SHARON LEE GERALDINE) GALVIN
August 19, 1954 to August 9, 2022
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Frieda Sharon Galvin. Sharon’s given names aptly suited her essence – peaceful and caring nature, love of learning and life-long growth, encouraging of others, and genuine goodness.
Beloved, loving, and protective daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. Cherished daughter of Sarah Bernice McFadden and Gerard Roy Galvin (both predeceased). Amazing and much-loved sister to David Galvin, and Marcella, Susie, Jon (predeceased), Linda (predeceased), and Debra Sylvestre. Supportive, encouraging, and loving aunt to Allen and James. Sharon was consoled by the fact that she would rejoin our other family members and her precious cats, Rex, Charley, and Skunk.
Sharon’s love of reading and writing was surpassed only by the love she had for her family. She loved books, languages, and old or ‘classic’ movies. She was self-taught in many areas including several languages. She had a strong faith. Sharon’s adventurous spirit led her to travel through the United States and to PEI, with plans for more. She loved PEI and always hoped to go back one day. Her most recent trip plan was to go to Whitehorse.
Sharon reveled in the wonders of the autumn season. This was her favourite time of year. Sharon and her siblings shared a mutual lifelong love of Halloween. She shared a love of Star Trek with her siblings and with her nephew, Allen. Sharon also loved Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allan Poe.
While Sharon respected all life, cats, giraffes, and elephants were her favourite animals, which is quite fitting. Cats symbolize elegance, curiosity, and independence. Giraffes symbolize spiritual and worldly matters and the importance of being humble and having faith in ourselves, and they walk with their heads held high. Elephants symbolize wisdom, strength and loyalty. This was Sharon. She was all these things, and more.
Sharon graduated from the University of Toronto with an honours degree in English Literature, with a minor in French and Classics. She later obtained diplomas in Business French and Business Spanish. Additional courses included Business Russian, Writing for the Screen, and History of the Cinema. Never one to be idle, Sharon started her own translation services business and branched out with transcription, captioning, and descriptive video services.
Sharon was an avid life-long learner and her most recent academic endeavours included a certificate in French translation and a second degree in Anthropology. Sharon so impressed her Anthropology professors that they invited her to participate in a dig in Colombia. In typical Sharon fashion, she politely declined the offer. She said it was “too hot there.”
Also in true Sharon fashion, she helped many students achieve their academic goals at the undergrad and graduate levels, including editing theses for candidates for the Master of Architecture degree. She provided reliable and highly competent assistance to one student throughout the entire Architecture program and was encouraged by the professor to work towards this degree herself. While she appreciated the recognition, she politely declined. Sharon’s editing expertise was also requested by professors for post-secondary textbooks, with the most recent one being published in 2017.
Sharon’s skills in translation, captioning, and descriptive video were displayed on programming produced by YTV, the W Network, Treehouse TV, The Discovery Channel, and The Scream Channel. Programs included Franklin, SpongeBob SquarePants, the DVD release of Force of Nature: the David Suzuki Movie, DaVinci’s Inquest, and more. Sharon’s professional translation services were used by the business sector (Suzy Shier, Scholar’s Choice, MacLaren McCann Advertising, ARI Traduction, Nicaragua newspapers) and by legal professionals (immigration, financial).
Despite her many laudable accomplishments, Sharon remained sweet, caring and caregiving, down-to-earth, and ever so modest. Sharon was also tremendously witty, and she had an amazing sense of humour. Sharon was the heart of our family and an inspiration to all.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honour of Sharon to the Daring Residential Home in Kitchener or to any animal shelter.
To My Sister
“If history records this lifetime we share,
On the page I am given, you will be there.
The truth will be written in line after line,
How you gave of your heart and tended to mine.
The world will then see, in each word of that pen,
With you as my sister, how blessed I have been.
Her kindness flows so quietly that the comfort she brings is scarcely acknowledged.
Still, she continues to weave the fibers of love which have united our family.
That is her nature. And that is her gift to each of us.” Robert ton
Read Less
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Sharon Galvin Tuesday August 9th 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Fergus, Province: Ontario
My condolences to Sharon’s family and friends. I was lucky to have known such a kind, genuine and intelligent person. I will miss her very much.
What an inspiring life she led!
Gowri