Obituary of Sharon Mona Dame

Sharon Mona Bragg was born in Portland, ME. on October 5, 1942 to Irene Louise Allison and Nelson Edward Bragg. Her older sister, Loraine Janet Bragg predeceased her in 2017. Her younger sister, Bonnie-Lee Bowman, resides in Fort Collins, CO. Sharon’s parents divorced and each remarried, resulting in twins Louise Sutliff of New Smyrna Beach, FL, and Nelson Edward Bragg  Jr.. 

Sharon moved to the Egypt section of Scituate with her family in 1957 from Arlington, MA. She graduated from Scituate High School in 1960. After the divorce, her mother married Albert Bowman and the family along with their German Shepard moved to Arlington, FL, near Jacksonville, in 1961. Sharon worked for Globe Life Insurance in Jacksonville until the move to Merritt Island, FL. She secured a position with the building department of Cocoa Beach. From there, Sharon was interviewed for the secretary position of St. Marks Episcopal Church by The Rev. W. Kenneth Williams. 

She married Thomas Edward Dame at the church on September 18, 1965. They moved into a three room apartment in Rockledge, a mile from the church on the “river road”, as  affectionally known by the locals.  

While celebrating thanksgiving with her family the following year, small talk was carried on while the movie “Jason and the Argonauts” played on the TV, at the scene where the water is becoming rough between the cliffs, her water broke and a mad dash was made for the car! A yell from Sharon was heard “call the bridge tender and tell him NOT TO OPEN the drawbridge! They arrived at Wuesthoff  hospital in Rockledge  a little before midnight and Sharon disappeared into the building in a wheelchair. 

Her family and husband settled down in the waiting room for the inevitable long wait. At about 2:30 am, a nurse came into the waiting room and announced that Sharon had delivered a 6 pound, zero once baby boy that November 25, 1966 and we should wait until Kenneth Clayton Dame was ready for viewing in the nursery.  

Later,  Robert Allison Dame (1970) and Heather Jeanne Dame (1972) would complete the family. 

Two months after the birth of their first son, the couple moved to the Coquina Ridge area in Eau Gallie, and began attending St. John’s Episcopal Church. A year later, the family moved to 1313 Croton Road. A mother and her two children had arrived at the church and later their car broke down and was beyond repair. The family also faced eviction. A station wagon belonging to her husband was agreed to be repaired by the church and the mother would be able to utilize it until she was able to secure her own vehicle. Arrangements were also made where the family would reside with Sharon and the young family for a period of time. 

Later, when the family moved out, Sharon became interested in the school operated by the diocese at the cathedral to train deacons. In 1974, the home was sold and the family moved to Palm Bay, where they spent the next 24 years. Sharon continued her studies at the cathedral in Orlando for three years, plus she was now the secretary at Church of Our Savior under Fr Louks. As she did not drive, having moved from MA before she was able to take the tests, her husband drove their children and her to the cathedral twice a month, and visited all the smaller tourist spots and libraries twice a month. They soon joined her in the cathedral after her classes for Holy Communion. 

Just prior to completing the required courses, an additional requirement of an AA degree as a minimum was added and she began classes at Brevard Community College.  

She went to see the doctor for a problem she was experiencing that no  longer could be ignored and was diagnosed with chronic Chrohn’s Disease. She was on medication and prednisone for eight months. Later the Chrohn’s went into remission, and was replaced by Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Thus ended her wish to become a deacon. She returned to the cathedral for training to become a Lay Reader then LEM and LEV when the Lay Reader positions were revamped. Later, she would stop as the secretary to care for her two grandchildren while their parents worked. She and her husband would adopt the children several years later. 

She submitted poems and other material to the newsletter. She took over the Prayer Circles list from Fran Leonard in 2003, and after a number of years, passed them on to the next person. She became interested in OSL and began studies for that ministry, but the care of the grandkids ate into her study time. She learned how to drive and passed the driver’s test. That allowed her to drive to church, and after moving to Pine Walk Court, she was able to drive the grandkids to Riviera Elementary as well. Middle and High School were a different matter as they downsized to one vehicle and the husband took over those activities on his way to work, and with additional arrangements, picked them up and took them home when school was over. 

In 2009, during a checkup, she became exasperated when she was requested to draw a house. She was becoming almost panicky. An MRI was ordered and a brain scan performed. Not much information was given other than “we will watch this”. Another MRI was performed in 2019, and a little more information was given, but still, not much. During the ten years, Sharon still acted normal. But sometimes, she did “not feel well” and thus began the long slow disappearance from groups. In February, 2021, her husband made a quick trip to the store. Upon his return, he found Sharon collapsed and lying on the floor near the entrance to the bathroom. He called an ambulance and Sharon was taken to the emergency room and several tests were performed, including another MRI on the brain. 

An appointment was scheduled with the Geriatric doctor. Both the doctor and husband were discussing two MRI’s when a phrase was used and the husband asked if the doctor had seen the 2021 MRI. The doctor said no and excused herself. Upon return also came the diagnosis of Vascular Dementia with Sharon near the end of stage 2 of 3. She was to spend the next two years with this condition until her being called by the Lord on October 29, 2023, 25 minutes prior to midnight. 

She leaves her younger sister, Bonnie-Lee Bowman, half-siblings Louise Sutliff and Nelson Bragg Jr., her aunt, Janet (Kiki) White, children, Robert Dame, Heather Dollar,  grand-children Kevin Dame, Kayo Dame, Sarah Dame, Zachary Dame Emily Dame, Riley Dame, and Hannah Dollar. Also, a great-granddaughter, Norah Robin Branham and nieces, nephews and cousins. She will be greatly missed by all. 

A Memorial Service will be held at Church of Our Saviour, 1000 Jersey Lane, Palm Bay, 11:00am, Saturday, February 10, 2024.