Canadian and PEI Curling Hall of Fame member Sharon Renner (Knox) passes away

Posted on by April 25, 2014

Sharon Anne Renner (Knox) passed away on Wednesday, following a brief battle with cancer.

Here is her obituary and funeral announcement:

Sharon Anne Renner (Knox)

1940-2014

Peacefully at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital surrounded by her family after a brief period of cancer on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 of Sharon Anne Renner (Knox) of Charlottetown, aged 73 years. Beloved mother of Jackie Hamm (Larry), Terri Anderson (David), Chris Knox (Jodi) and their father William Kenneth Knox. Loving grandmother of Tyler Hamm and Ashley Hamm Doiron (Dave). Survived by her sister Barbara McCurdy, sister in law Laurenda Reeves, brother in law Barry Ridgewell and numerous nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her brother Bruce Renner, sister Marda Ridgewell and brother in law Allen McCurdy.Sharon was born in Halifax, NS and moved to PEI in the early ‘70s with her husband and three children.
Over her lifetime, she was an avid curler, golfer, lawn bowler, bridge player and was a longtime volunteer with many sporting organizations. She was recently inducted into the Canadian and PEI Curling Hall of Fame as a “Builder.” Sharon served as National President of the Canadian Senior Games Association; Founding President of the PEI 55+ Games Society; National President of Canadian Ladies Curling Association, hosting a Scott Tournament of Hearts in 1984; President of the Belvedere Golf and Winter Club; President of the PEI Curling Association; and Secretary for Sport PEI. She was also a certified Level 2 Coach with the Canadian Curling Association and earned the National Curling Official Level 3 status. She organized and coached both junior lawn bowling and junior curling programs. She had been awarded the PEI Sports Administrator of the Year Award and was also a Sport PEI President’s Award recipient.
Sharon held a number of positions during her working life. She was manager of the Video Centre; a travel counselor with Dept. Of Tourism; and a Field Liaison Officer with Elections Canada, as well as a Federal Returning Officer for 12 years. A personal highlight during this time was when she traveled to Indonesia for 2 months as an election supervisor in 1999. She made many lasting friendships through her professional and volunteer work, and most recently as a facilitator with a women’s support group. Resting at Belvedere Funeral Home from where the memorial service will be held in the funeral home chapel on Saturday at 10:30 am. Visiting hours on Friday from 6-9 pm. Memorials may be made to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation or the Canadian Cancer Society. (www.belvederefh.com)
Here is her citation from the PEI Curling Hall of Fame and Museum, where she was inducted in 2009:

 

Sharon Renner Knox (builder category)

Sharon’s involvement in curling as an administrator, instructor, coach, and official began in the early seventies when she served on several golf and curling committees at the Belvedere Golf and Winter Club. Her involvement continued as she assumed the role of president of the Belvedere ladies curling branch in 1976/77.

She took Curl Canada instructor/training courses to coach and instruct curlers. She conducted classes for beginners at Belvedere each year to encourage anyone new at the sport. She also spent several years helping the junior program at this club. Sharon became a level 2 coach/instructor and earned the technical portion of the curling level 3 coaching program. She officiated at several Canadian Curling Championships.

She represented her club at the Provincial Ladies Curling Association for several years and was 2nd vice president in 1976 and 1st vice 1977. She was President of the PEI Ladies Curling Association in 1979/80.

Sharon became a delegate to Canadian Ladies Curling Association for two years and was elected to 2nd vice president of the Canadian Ladies Curling Association in 1982, and 1st vice president in 1983. She was involved in the first negotiations for obtaining the sponsorship for women’s curling by the Scott Paper Company. It is interesting to note that Scott, now known as Kruger Products, still sponsors women’s curling to this day. She served as president of the Canadian Ladies Curling Association in 1983/84.

Sharon earned the Sport PEI annual award for Administrator of the Year for 1984, and in 1986, she was elected to the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame, as a builder, for her outstanding contribution to the game of curling.

Sharon was elected to the board of directors of the Belvedere Golf and Winter Club and became their president four years later, in 1988/90. She was the first woman to hold that position.

She assisted in the formation of the PEI 55+ Games Association and was elected as founding President in 1997/98. She served as secretary of the Canadian Senior Games Association in 1998/99, and president of the Canadian Senior Games Association in 2000-2002.

Sharon obtained her level 1 coaching for lawn bowling and ran the Junior program for three years with the Sherwood Lawn Bowling Club. She was the ladies single PEI Lawn Bowling Champion in 2000, 2001, and 2002, and competed in three National Lawn Bowling Championships.

Sharon was president of the Prince Edward Island Lawn Bowling Association in 2004.

In 2002, she was awarded Sport PEI President’s Award for her contribution to sport on PEI.

Sharon served as a member of the board of the PEI Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

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