John and Peg Sharpe had eight children of whom Michael was the eldest – four boys and four girls. All four boys attended St Virgil’s College.

Michael played in consecutive Sate Premiership hockey teams and went on to play A Grade hockey with the Catholic Club (which morphed into Prince of Wales and again into the Diamondbacks).

On leaving school Michael joined the Commonwealth Public Service and worked in the Attorney General’s Department and the Department of Education & Science prior to his appointment as Manager of the Commonwealth Employment Service at Glenorchy. He was also responsible for the establishment of a Careers Reference Centre on the ground floor of the AMP building in the city.

Then followed a major career move. Michael had married Mary Hall in 1970 – a romance that had blossomed during their school days - and they had four children. Mary had qualified as a pharmacist at UTAS and in the mid-eighties they opted to do a role reversal – with Mary re-entering the workforce and Michael running the home. A very progressive move for the time! Mary became the Program Manager for the Lions Drug Education Network and set up offices in Hobart, Launceston and Ulverstone. She was to go on to fill the role of Chief Pharmacist for Tasmania.

Michael and Mary became heavily involved in Church matters and made significant contributions with the Catholic Family Movement (CFM), Antioch as a parent couple, Marriage Encounter and the Cursillo movement.

Michael and Mary did the Spiritual Director Training Program at the Emmanuel Centre in Launceston and Michael followed this up by completing the Clinical Pastoral Education Course at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

He was equipped to re-enter the workforce in a very different capacity. He became associated with the Inter-Church Trade & Industry Mission of which Fr Mike Delaney, our OVA Chaplain, was a significant player at the time.

Michael Sharpe was to become a counsellor for the likes of Norske Skog at Boyer, Metro and Hydro Tasmania as well as filling chaplaincy positions at Tasmania Police and Tasmanian Fire Services.

Michael and Mary moved into the Springhaven Lifestyle Village in 2021.

Shortly before he retired in 2013, the early signs of Parkinson’s Disease became evident and in his final days he was severely afflicted with Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Michael Sharpe passed away on the 23 August 2024 surrounded by all his family. A man loved by all; he left his mark on all he encountered. Many were the beneficiaries of his wisdom, goodness, humour, friendship and love – a life well lived. Rest in peace, Mike.

OVAtions

The monthly e-newsletter of the Old Virgilians Association

September Edition | No.81 · 17 Sep 2024

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