Sharon Lee Mallon

Sharon Lee (Winter) Mallon, age 81, passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer’s on Friday, April 29, shortly after her birthday, not that she remembered any of it. Mom has been fighting this insidious disease for a while. It robbed her of the ability to drive, pay her own bills and live independently. Alzheimer’s is a disease that robs you of yourself and can take a long walk off a short pier as Sharon might say. Her children’s assessment would be a bit more colorful. In all seriousness, Mom hasn’t been here for quite some time and it is a blessing that she is no longer encumbered by the infirmities that afflicted her body and mind.

Sharon was born on April 14, 1941, in Beaver Dam to Delores (nee Backhaus) and Lawrence Winter. She was a lifelong resident of Beaver Dam (except for a short stint in Texas when Robert was in the Army) and member of St. Stephen’s church. She married Robert Mallon in 1959 and divorced some 30 years later but she did get two kids out of the deal. Sharon had many jobs in her life. Homemaker, office girl, bookkeeper, waitress, breadstick factory worker, liquor store manager. Her final gig was to manage the Shell Travel Mart on Park Avenue until she retired, because working is for suckers. Perhaps her favorite job was the one she waited the longest for, mother and later grandmother.

Sharon enjoyed a wide variety of interests, cooking, gambling, canning, gambling, gardening, gambling, bullhead fishing, bingo, gambling, bowling and trap shooting; although not recently because no one was going to arm a woman who couldn’t walk across a lawn without falling in a hole and twisting an ankle. In her younger days, she enjoyed camping and was active in the Beaver Dam Campers. She loved a good game of sheepshead, euchre and dirty clubs and probably already has a game going with Sharen and Derald, unless there are casinos up there, in which case Margaret and Barb will meet her there.

Sharon was an avid reader with a life-long love of books and she never met a garage sale she didn’t like because that’s where you buy more books. Just be sure to mark the covers of the ones you’ve read with your initials so you don’t buy it again. She never locked her car door, much to the consternation of her children but if she locked the door, how would people leave her presents? To this day, we are unaware of anyone leaving her a present in her unlocked car. Her favorite question in recent years was ‘so, what do you know?’ She was continually disappointed to discover that her children did not know anything.

Sharon had strong opinions that she didn’t mind sharing and could be politically active as well. When she heard the new Pick N Save was going to have a liquor department right there in the grocery store, she knew she had to take action; organizing a petition drive and testifying before the common council. So for those few years in the late 80’s and early 90’s when you had to exit the grocery store and enter the liquor store through a separate entrance, that was Sharon. Sorry.

Sharon is survived by her two children, Robin (Kari) of Elkhorn and Bob of Burnett; mother, Delores Winter of Beaver Dam; and brother-in-law William Fehling of Waunakee. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Jacob (Daysi) Wicinski and Anabelle Wicinski of Elkhorn and Benjamin Wicinski of Delavan; Hunter and Cassie Mallon of Burnett.

Sharon was preceded in death by her father, Lawrence Winter; her sister, Barbara Fehling; and her daughter-in-law, Jana Mallon. We presume upon reaching the pearly gates and seeing the three of them there to take her on the tour, the first words out of her mouth were “what the hell are you doing here?”

Burial for Sharon took place at Oakwood Cemetery in Beaver Dam on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.

The family extends special thank yous to the staff at Marvin’s Manor Assisted Living in Horicon and Hillside Manor in Beaver Dam for making her last years as comfortable as possible. You all are the angels among us.

In keeping with Sharon’s wishes, there was no visitation, and a small graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery was held. Memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America or the Beaver Dam Community Library. If you truly want to celebrate Sharon’s life, read a book, catch a bullhead and spoil your grandkids. The family suggests you head down to Voelker’s Steak House and have Ruthie cook you up a steak while you enjoy a brandy old-fashioned sweet, light on the bitters with a brussels sprout.
Cornerstone Funeral & Cremation Services, 135 Keller Blvd., Beaver Dam is honored to be serving the family. You may send private online condolences or sign the family’s guest book at www.cstonefs.com.