Valerie Sharkey

Valerie Elaine Sharkey was born in Detroit, Michigan on January 3, 1954.  She was the fifth child and third daughter born to the union of Walter and Dolores Sharkey.

She was educated in the Detroit Public Schools system, attending Monteith Elementary, Barbour Junior High and Kettering High School. 

Val always had a smile on her face and a pleasant personality to match.   She had a generous spirit, a kind and gentle soul and was always appreciative of anything given to her.  Her smile was a testament to her unwavering optimism and the belief that there was always something beautiful to find in every moment.  

As we remember Val, we are reminded that her legacy lives on in the countless lives she touched.  She taught us the profound impact that a simple act of kindness and a warm smile can have on the world.  She will be dearly missed, but her spirit will forever live on in the smiles she brought to our lives.  

She loved her family and enjoyed spending time with them, especially on holidays and at family gatherings.  Val loved all her nieces and nephews and was especially close to her nieces, Tiffany and Lenoka.  

Val was fortunate to have both a biological family and a second family at the Terry Adult Foster Care Home, where she resided since September 6, 1993. She enjoyed listening to all types of music (especially Watercolors on Sirius XM); watching her favorite soap operas (The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful); watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel; and eating her favorite foods:  White Castle, fried chicken, and fried shrimp with french fries.

She was hospitalized on August 1, 2023 and made her transition on August 30, 2023.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Dolores; one sister, Ramona; two brothers, Walter and Donald; nephew, Clifton; and niece, Dalana.

Val leaves to cherish her memories, two sisters:  Scarlett and Sylvia; five nieces:  Cynthia (Enoch), Lisa - pka Madisun (Courtney), Tiffany, Lenoka (Alexander) and Dominique; one nephew, Leonard, Jr.; two brothers-in-law:  Leonard, Sr. and Tyree; favorite cousin, Peggy; bonus sister, Thelma; special staff at Terry AFC:  Mrs. Terry, Brenda, Vadie, Kim, Madeline and Teavra; and a host of other relatives and friends.  

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