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Sharon Catherine O'Drobinak

September 4, 1929 ~ March 23, 2019 (age 89) 89 Years Old

Tribute

Sharon Catherine O’Drobinak

September 4, 1929 – March 23, 2019

Sharon was born in Cascade, Iowa to Lawrence and Edna Ehlinger. She met William O’Drobinak at his delicatessen in Indiana and they married on September 17, 1949 in Cascade. She achieved a BS degree in accounting, which was helpful in their many business adventures. They developed many businesses including a dress shop, Pioneer Tap, Bonanza Steak House, Pizza Pantry, Happy Joe’s Pizza, and Harvest House all while raising eight children. They spent the majority of their lives in Hammond, IN followed by 15 years in Lakeland, FL. Sharon spent the last 8 years in Spokane, WA and attended St. Joseph’s Parish.

Sharon was an entrepreneur, accountant, business owner, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved playing piano, solving crossword puzzles, traveling and visiting her many children and grandchildren. She spent many hours on Sanibel Island, FL collecting seashells. She could never get enough watermelon, grapes and cheesecake.

Sharon was preceded in death by her husband William. She is survived by her brother Paul (Mary) Ehlinger; her children Catherine Conway, Larry (Cindy) O’Drobinak, Diane (James) Grasha, Lynette (Cal) Sjol, James O’Drobinak, Paul (Rebecca) O’Drobinak, Lee Ann (Dan) Palmer, Jon (Brooke) O’Drobinak; 17 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

You are dearly loved and will be missed. Your love and life stories will live on through many generations.

Donations in Sharon’s name can be made to Covenant House, which helps homeless children. Please visit www.covenanthouse.org for how to donate.

To share memories and condolences please visit her tribute wall.

A Daughter Lament

Oh!

If only for a moment

I could give my mother

A slice of radiant, red watermelon

I would remind her of childhood

and barefoot summers in Iowa.

I would teach her how to purse her lips

into a perfectly puckered "O"

and help her spit out

the seeds of sadness

she collected

one

one.

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Services

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