Sharon Doig
Author: Jen Dalrymple
Sharon Doig
Jen Dalrymple
Sharon Patricia Leiner was born on April 30, 1947, one of three children. She attended Wachung Hills Regional High School graduating in 1965. Her desire to be a nurse led her to Ann May School of Nursing where she obtained her diploma and nursing license in 1969.
Work soon commenced at Overlook Hospital, New Jersey in orthopedics, followed by Jersey Shore Medical Center in the surgical unit and then back to Overlook working in the nursery. She always said that pediatrics was her absolute favorite job. She always felt the call to serve her country, so she raised her hand in 1973 and was selected as an officer in the United States Navy.
She told many stories of the bus trips they had to take to the training area and how the women were housed in dilapidated dormitories. The training was arduous and challenging but the friendships she made were for a lifetime.
Though she loved the Navy and the work it required at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Virginia, the end of the Vietnam conflict led to military drawdowns across the services. She, along with thousands of other service members, was involuntarily let go.
Life moved on as she married Robert Doig and raised three rambunctious, towheaded boys. She managed to continue her labor of love as a nurse, following her husband around the country: North Carolina, Montana, Oklahoma, and New Jersey.
Though Robert and Sharon eventually divorced after 24 years of marriage, Sharon always felt a special draw to Montana, eventually settling in Townsend in 2002. She immediately immersed herself in several notable volunteer endeavors: Lions, American Legion, Crimson Bluffs, DUI Task Force, 40&8 and Shephard of the Valley Lutheran Church. Can you see the pattern she wove, especially here in Townsend?
She wove her smile, her laughter, her banter (most notably at the Legion during the Army-Navy game) and her love in so many endeavors. Sharon had such a giving spirit and shared her joy with so many of us, making us all the better for knowing her. Whether it was taking her dear friend Clara out on weekly drives or to church, sending cards or making phone calls to ill Legionnaires or their family members, visiting the elderly or helping with activities at the nursing homes, she brought comfort to others through the gift of her time. She spent the colder months indoors painting small river rocks which she hid throughout the County for others to seek and post on Facebook about their ‘treasure hunt’ adventures.
We looked forward to her stories of road-tripping with her dogs, Sprite, Ginger and sometimes Reba, and the shutterbug took hundreds of pictures to get just the right one to share with her family and friends. Nature lends itself to renewal, providing a deep sense of calm and beauty that many of us have also come to know. I distinctly remember when, after many an evening spent sitting at the end of the road of Cottonwood Campground, she finally got that just right picture at about sunset, of the moose she just knew was out there waiting to pose for her. That story was an exuberant, gleeful, giddy tale for many a meeting to follow with pictures to prove her perseverance and success. Her enthusiasm for history also enlivened many a dinner conversation when it was embellished with mayhem and mishap in the adventure.
Sharon’s intense passion for her family, her friends and her pets was evident in the myriad of photos that were throughout her home; on the walls, refrigerator, doors and tables. She also enjoyed inspiring others, including children and youth, to become involved in life and adventure. She worked her way up to state American Legion Children and Youth Coordinator, encouraging other American Legion Posts to start, or expand, their children and youth programs like Scouts, Junior Shooting Sports, Girls and Boys State, Government Essay and Oratorical contests. She enjoyed hosting the state American Legion Children and Youth luncheon, bringing top-notch students together to share their successes with the masses.
Sharon had a true giving heart, with no strings attached, whether in friendship or for those in need, she shared herself and did whatever she could for others. I know I will miss her dearly, for over the last 22 years I have enjoyed her companionship, followed in her footsteps as Legion Commander and am grateful for having had her as a friend. Though passed on from this life, she lives on in the memories we formed and the stories we share. May she rest in peace, though I highly doubt it because her spirit was always seeking the next adventure.
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PhotoCredit: Jen Dalrymple
Image 1 Caption: Sharon Doig
