Sharon Elizabeth Potyok

September 13, 2019 23 Condolences Print Obituary Send Flowers

Sharon Elizabeth Potyok of Edmonton, Alberta, passed away on Sunday, September 8, 2019 at the CapitalCare Norwood Hospice in Edmonton, Alberta.

True to her Scottish heritage, Sharon will be best known for her feisty demeaner, sharp whit and although small stature, she was a mighty force. Sharon was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on June 11, 1943. The birth and death of this beautiful woman, however, is not nearly as relevant as all the days and nights that she lived to the fullest between those dates.

Left behind to carry on Sharon’s legacy is her husband of 51 years, Robert, her daughters, Sherry and Terri-Lynne (husband Bruce), and grandchildren Jesse & Kayley (Sherry’s children), Aidan & Nicholas (Terri-Lynne’s children), Kaine & Marshall (Bruce’s children), her great grandchildren Kayla, Adelyn, Dakota, (Kayley’s children & Sharyn-Due October 2019), Sharon’s sister Sandra (husband Colin), stepsister, Faye, stepbrothers; Jim and Bobby and their spouses, and Godson, Chris (wife Marisol). Sharon is predeceased in death by her mother Sylvia and her stepfather, Gordon, and her special Aunts Ella & Helen and her grandmother Eliza Lammond.

She met Robert in 1968, a young RCAF pilot, and they married in that same year in Moose Jaw. Sherry and Terri-Lynne were born in 1971 and they were quickly posted to CFB Cold Lake AB, CFB Winnipeg MB, and CFB Trenton ON. As a young mother, Sharon continued teaching while completing her Bachelor of Arts degree at the Queen’s University. She worked as a teacher in Moose Jaw and Trenton before their final posting to CFB Edmonton in 1982. In 1984 she attended the Correctional Officer Recruit Program and began a career that spans 32 years with Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). Notably, she was one of the first female recruits to have joined the service at the Edmonton Institution.

Sharon was involved in Beta Sigma Phi, league bowling and hosted bridge nights while in Trenton. She found pleasure in playing the piano, needlepoint, playing bingo and antiquing with her long-time friend, Karen, coffee talks with Janet, symphony night with Pauline, and collecting Pendalphins and Beanie Babies. She was committed to her family and took great pride in her daughters and travelled every few years with her sister, Sandra. She was dedicated to her service within CSC and the roles she had, in which she earned great respect amongst her colleagues and even inmates.

Celebration of Life
Thursday, September 19, 2019 from 11:00am to 2:00pm.
Royal Canadian Legion – Kingsway Branch No. 175
14339-50 Street, Edmonton, Alberta
Chaplain Rev. Paul Polonenko and Elder David LaSwisse will be officiating.

In lieu of flowers for those so wishing, memorials can be made to CapitalCare Norwood at www.capitalcarefoundation.net. Please indicate that your donation is to go to CapitalCare CHOICE Norwood, under Dedication Information, click on ‘In Memory of’ Sharon Potyok.

  1. What a wonderful tribute. Sharon was definitely a person you will never forget. Sorry for your loss. Love to all of you.

  2. So sorry to hear of your loss. She sounds like someone we would have liked knowing. We will be thinking of you. Thank you for letting us know

    Larry and Jane Potyok

  3. My thoughts are with her family. Sharon was an amazing mentor and friend I will miss her.

  4. Oh mama potyok. Am so goin to miss you. Our chats. Who am I going to call and vent to. Rest in peace. You were a great friend and mentor

  5. To the Family
    Those special memories will always be with you. A reminder of a special and remarkable lady. Our thoughts are with you

  6. We have fond memories of Sharon during our time in Trenton together. She, Bob, and the girls were great neighbours and became good friends of ours. Best wishes to the family from Bill & Jennifer Low.

  7. Sharon Potyok

    Remembering all the summers of fun at 856 in MooseJaw with all the cousins

  8. Remembering time we spent together at the Max. The giggles,dramas, conversations, Boston Pizza nights, and most of all the caring Sharon had for all. Sharon would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. A truly wonderful woman who will be sorely missed. RIP

    • Thank you so much for those kind words Anne, she truly will be missed.

  9. Thank you very much Janice.

  10. This precious soul will be missed. Our deep loss is heavens gain. She had enormous impact with the people she interacted with. She usually displayed a no fear no BS attitude. She was solid through and through. My life was enriched working with her. Keep up the awesome work even in your afterlife.

    • My condolences to Sharon’s family and her dear friend Janet. I too worked with Sharon at EI from 2006-2011. She is a dynamo! I say ‘is’ as her spirit will live on (I have no doubt). For any of us to make even a quarter of the impact Sharon made in others people’s lives will be a life well lived!

  11. So so sorry for your loss of Sharon she was such a special lady and even tho we had lost touch I thought about her often..she was one of a kind

  12. To Robert, Sherry and Terri Lynn. Please accept our sympathies and condolences in the loss of your beautiful wife and mum. I echo the comments by your other writers about Sharon. I worked together with Sharon at the edmonton institution from 1989-2008. In that time she was a mentor and a friend to me. I’d like to share this passage that I found comforting when my mum passed away. “when you speak of her, speak not with tears, for thoughts of her should not be sad. Let memories of the times you shared give you comfort, for her life was rich because of you”. Rest in peace Sharon. Sincerely Chris and Bev Gordon.

    • Thank you, that is beautiful.

  13. We come from the same city and worked hand-in-hand in CISM, union activities (PSAC/PIPSC) and the Segregation Program for almost 20 years. We were friends throughout and since then. She was one of the cornerstones of the institution and was a source of strength to many and a fierce defender of those who needed her assistance. What a legacy!

    • Hi Wayne, I’ve heard your name often when I was still living at home. I love hearing how she impacted coworkers and friends as I only know her as my mom and how loving, strict yet empowering she was. She impacted my life greatly, it’s incredibly heartwarming to see how she impacted others around her as well.

  14. To her family I wonder if she got home sometimes, being at work and helping many troubled staff too. She was not a busybody, she was a much-loved angel with wings on somewhere.

  15. To the family,
    I worked only a couple of months with her. After her retirement I met her once; she was so loving and I felt she know me since many years.
    My thoughts are with her family. Sharon was an amazing mentor and a great friend; I will miss her.

  16. My condolences to your family. Sharon was an amazing lady and my thoughts and prayers are with you all.

  17. Sharon has served faithfully and dutifully….Rest in Peace dear Friend!
    Condolences to the family and Friends

  18. We will never forget how kind and thoughtful Sharon was.

  19. Sharon, was very helpful for everyone.Sharon wonderful lady in my memory. I was lucky meet her in intuition for her help and big heart.

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