Obituary of Frances Patricia Sharrow

Frances Patricia Sharrow, age 77, died on March 31, 2019 after a long illness with her loving husband Jack by her side. She was a devoted wife, a loving mother and grandmother with many caring sisters, brothers, relatives and friends throughout the United States. Frances was born on Pearl Harbor Day: December 7, 1941, to the late Mildred Cooper and Charles Zinn, M.D. She attended Central Catholic High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Sienna Heights College in Adrian, Michigan and Florida Atlantic University, where she was a member of the Founder Class. She taught third graders for many years at Saint Anthony’s Catholic School in Fort Lauderdale and taught Spanish to junior high classes as well. Later she taught at Sunrise Middle School in Fort Lauderdale. During that time she became licensed and active selling in real estate. During the years of the 70s she began organizing and coaching boys’ grade school and high school soccer teams and eventually did the same for girls. She was the founder of the Broward County Youth Soccer Program and coached and refereed boy’s and men’s soccer for the next 35 years, becoming the first female FIFA (Federation International Football Association) referee in the state of Florida. During these years Frances was raising her daughters, Eileen and Jeannie. In April 1976 Frances and her sister Margaret organized and hosted a youth soccer team from Quito, Ecuador, to compete with the St. Anthony’s boys’ team, coached by Frances. An exhibition game was held at the Orange bowl in Miami at the half-time of the Miami pro soccer game. Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer player was there, and encouraged the boys. As the years passed, Frances and Jack moved to Mercer Island and Redmond in Washington State. Jack, an Avionics Engineer, was employed by Allied – Bendix, and Frances continued her involvement with soccer, refereeing men’s, women’s,and youth games. Fran also enjoyed playing with a woman’s 40 and older team. In the mid 1980’s Fran sold Pendleton women’s apparel at the Bellevue Square Mall. Later, she started her own company, selling computer equipment and software. In the 1990’s Jack joined Frances and they opened a company that featured innovative water conservation products. They returned to Florida near the turn of the century and settled in Palm Bay. Frances became involved with their parish, St. Joseph Catholic Church, where she was active in the Altar Society and the Saint Vincent dePaul program. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005 Frances assisted a campaign that collected medical emergency items, food, water and clothing for the devastated area. During these years Frances was employed in security at the Harris Corporation in Melbourne, and continued her coaching of soccer. She loved and participated in all athletics at different stages of her life. She played softball, basketball, tennis, horseback riding, and water skiing and taught Eileen and Jeannie how to roller skate. She was a state champion in fencing. She won state titles in Junior Olympics in track and field. She was an avid fan of NFL football and college football, baseball and basketball. At the age of 53 she received recognition by the American Diabetes Association for her outstanding accomplishments and physical health for living with juvenile diabetes at that time for 50 years. She went to live another 24 years. Frances also enjoyed gardening, flower arrangement, stamp and coin collecting, and playing her violin. She loved to travel and visited Spain, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Ecuador, and many states throughout the US. Frances always stayed in touch with her family and friends throughout every year. She was names the family “Town-crier” because she would alert anyone and everyone – husband, children, siblings, grandchildren and friends of impending ominous weather heading their way, or of any other news alert. She loved her family, country and Catholic faith above all. She was kind and generous, compassionate, and never met a stranger. She had a wonderful sense of humor and loved singing and harmonizing, anytime, anywhere. Frances loved life!