Sharman Anne Howell

Sharman Anne Howell, age 59 years of Stardust Crescent, passed away on Friday, October 9th, 2009 in the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
Sharman was born in 1950 to Bud and Pansy Howell in the Dryden Red Cross Hospital on a very cold day in January. She grew up in Dryden, Ontario and at the age of 18 moved to Thunder Bay to train as a nurse. She graduated from the Lakehead Regional School of Nursing in 1971. Her career began as an Operating Room nurse in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Thunder Bay, followed by a variety of nursing positions at the Dryden District General Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital, Port Arthur General Hospital, the VON, and the Community Care Access Centre. At the time of her death, she was a Utilization Coordinator with the CCAC at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
In her younger days she achieved her Grade 8 in piano with the Royal Conservatory of Music, along with three of her sisters. She also sang and played at Music Festivals in the Dryden / Kenora area. She had a love of travelling, visiting Canada and the United States from coast to coast, Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, England, Scotland and Wales. She had exciting plans to travel Europe and Africa after her retirement.
Her life was fulfilled by being a mother to her sons and watching them grow up. Later in life she met the person she had waited for all her life, Patrick Kunza, and they had eight wonderful years together.
She is survived by her sons Morgan Little of Barrie, Reese Little of Thunder Bay, their father Patrick Little of Toronto; partner Patrick Kunza, mother Pansy Howell of Dryden; four sisters, Glenice (Keith) Sveinson of Dryden, Frances (Dr. Roderick) Landymore of Worcester, England, Margaret (Peter) Schneider of Fort St. John, BC, Jennifer Howell of Dryden, and her one brother Dr. Ted Howell of Aberdeen, Scotland. Also six nieces, one nephew, four great-nieces, and three great-nephews.
She was predeceased by her father Hubert (Bud) in 1996, who was, along with her mother, an inspiration to her. They taught her the importance of both humility and achievement. They were both her heroes. And finally, a quote from one of Sharman’s memoirs: “Paddy taught me about being happy, to always look at the best of things and never to regret. My sons taught me to be myself.”
A Memorial Service was held on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of the Harbourview Funeral Centre, 499 North Cumberland Street, officiated by Rev. Peter Smyth. Visitation for family and friends began at 6:00 p.m. and continued till 8:00 p.m. the same evening. A second Service was held on Thursday October 15th, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. in St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Dryden, ON. Interment will be with her father in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Minnitaki, Ontario.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The James Fund for Neuroblastoma Research at Sick Kids: www.jamesfund.ca, Community Living Dryden/Sioux Lookout, Dryden Area Anglican Foundation c/o St. Luke’s Church, Dryden or the charity of your choice, through the Stevens Funeral Homes, P.O. Box 412, Dryden, ON P8N 2Z1. Condolences may be emailed to sympathycard@shaw.ca subject: Howell