Sharon Kinney

Bill Fisher: ... part 3 of 3... (not enough room for entire eulogy in one post! You'll have to go down two posts to start...) this is the ending:

...(I’m sure they’re making plans, right now!)

God bless you, Sharon Kinney. We love you.

William Fisher

Bill Fisher: ... continued from below... (sorry, ran out of room!) ...with a board. She had a bb-gun with her. She told the boy, “You stop hitting that poor animal, or I swear I’ll shoot you!” The boy defiantly took one more whack, and climbed on his bike to speed away. Sharon took aim and shot him right in the butt!

You see, Sharon loved animals, and she believed one of the worst things a person could do was to mistreat an animal.

She was very proud of her marksmanship. It began when her mother insisted that her brother, Eugene, bring her along while he went target shooting. So against her brother’s wishes, she tagged along with him, Paul Smith, and a third friend (perhaps it was Pinky Powers.) As the three boys attempted unsuccessfully to hit a glass bottle, Sharon kept tugging on her big brother’s shirt, pleading “let me try, let me try!” Eugene would have none of it, but Paul Smith insisted “Oh, come on Fish, let her give it a try.” Reluctantly Eugene gave the gun to Edna (…that was her childhood name,) whereupon she took aim and shattered the bottle with one shot! From then on Eugene would brag to others about his baby sister’s shooting skills.

The height of Sharon’s professional career was working for Jerry Rosenthal, attorney to the Hollywood stars. She had interesting stories about several of the celebrities for whom they provided services: from a young and naïve Lee Marvin, who didn’t know how to manage his money; to an innocent Doris Day, who fell victim to the theft of her entire fortune.

Some of you might remember the 60s rock group “Paul Revere and the Raiders.” Sharon described them as very pleasant young gentlemen. One day, as a way to thank everyone in Sharon’s office for their help, the band offered to take them out to lunch at a fancy restaurant. At the end of the meal, when the check arrived, none of these “pleasant young gentlemen” had any way to pay for it. So Sharon did.

Sharon always gave her all when she worked. At the end of a particularly demanding day, as her boss was leaving the office, he told her “Sharon, don’t work too late.” She looked at her watch… it was 3 o’clock in the morning!

Honoring our “mean-old-aunt” Sharon wouldn’t be complete without remembering the wonderful family reunions she organized for us, beginning during a difficult period in our family’s history in the 1970s. Half of the siblings had moved out and gotten married; Mom and Dad were separated; and our “happy family” didn’t seem entirely as happy as it once was. Sharon knew this, and it pained her to watch it. She placed a high value on what she called “togetherness.”

So she and Walt resolved to host everyone at their house for Thanksgiving or Christmas every year, for several years beginning in 1972. This was no small feat! On some occasions they had upwards of 20 or 30 people staying at their house for days… and Walt did most, if not all the cooking! (He was a fantastic cook, so no one complained…)

Ever the efficient one, Sharon organized crews to take care of all the set-up, clean-up, dishwashing, etc., so these events ran smoothly… but only because of Sharon’s foresight and thoughtfulness. She was the consummate hostess: serving the best food; dazzling us with her exquisite piano-playing; making us laugh for hours with her own endearing brand of humor.

She was keenly interested in each of us; she cared about us… even worried about us. But she was never shy about giving a little wise advice if she felt we needed it.

Earlier I mentioned these traits: symbolism, decorum, and occasion. It was because of her keen awareness of their importance that our reunions were made possible; that they were so fun and relaxing; and we have her to thank for essentially bringing our family back together. The occasions she provided helped us create the enduring memories that we all recall with such fondness.

To repeat the remarks at the end of Walt’s eulogy in 1989: Sharon and Walt gave us those wonderful family reunions way back then, and I, for one, am looking forward to another beautiful, final reunion. (I’m s

Bill Fisher: Sharon Kinney
April 11, 1924 - February 16, 2010

When Sharon’s beloved Walt passed away 21 years ago, Sharon asked me to write his eulogy. Having never done one before, it caught me off guard to discover that not only was I to write it, but I was also to stand up here and actually read it out loud! I learned then how difficult this is.

She asked me to refer to Walt in personal terms, such as “my uncle Walt.” It was very important to Sharon that we strive to maintain close family connections, strengthened by intentional acts such as what we say to relatives and friends; what we do for them; how we behave toward them… as well as what we call them. Perhaps more than anyone else in our family, Sharon knew the importance of symbolism, decorum, and occasion.

So following the path illuminated by her, I would like to say a few things about my Aunt Sharon.

Sharon was a woman of style and class, but also of sensitivity and depth. She loved the finer things in life, and she loved to share them with others: classical music; great art; gourmet food. But she had a soft spot for the underprivileged and the oppressed, spending no small amount of time, resources and effort with social and political causes in which she passionately believed.

She put a high priority on her appearance; always having perfectly-styled bright red hair, neat and tasteful attire, and of course a proper amount of jewelry! But she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty if the occasion called for it… or if there was a family emergency.

A famous incident involved her first husband, who became trapped under his car as he was working on it. Amazingly, little four-foot-eleven Sharon grabbed the edge of the car with her bare hands, and lifted it long enough for him to crawl to safety!

Sharon frequently assisted our family through the years, often by baby-sitting or in many other needed ways. One amusing-yet-scary story she loved to tell was when she was left at home to watch five-year-old Jeff and baby Annie, while Jo was in the hospital giving birth to Johnny, and E.K. was at work. When it came time for her to drive to work to pick up her brother, Jeff informed her that it was common for him to be left home alone to watch over Annie. Not knowing any better, Sharon said “O.K. …” and drove off to pick up E.K. When she got there, E.K. looked inside the car and asked “where are the kids?” Sharon replied, “Oh, they’re at home; Jeffy told me it was alright.” E.K.’s face turned white as he yelled “Move over!”

After driving at dangerously-excessive speeds, they arrived home. E.K. ran into the house, finding baby Annie in the bathtub with her face just barely poking through the surface as water cascaded over the sides of the tub. Lesson one for Sharon on how much she could trust a five-year-old.

However, Jeff has suggested that I inform you: since Mom was away giving birth to John at the time, it was actually John’s fault that this incident took place. (Just want to make that clear…)

There are other well-known family stories about Sharon, such as her selfless act of helping Jo and the kids get down to Brazil. This included a terrifying incident with the plane’s engine catching on fire, forcing them to make hasty plans in case of a water landing. Fortunately that wasn‘t necessary.

Sharon easily made friends wherever she went, and Brazil was no exception. She once told me the story of a hilarious taxi ride she took with several Brazilian friends. The driver decided to take a detour down a very steep incline. As the parrot on his shoulder sang “She’s too fat, she’s too fat, she’s too fat for me!…” the taxi careened and bounced down the hill in rhythm with the song. She laughed as she told this story, with an expression of both amusement and perplexity.

Though Sharon was well-known in many ways as being quite “proper,” some of you might not know that as a child, she was also a real scrapper! For such a little person, she seemed to have a disproportionate amount of courage. One day she saw the neighborhood bully abusing an animal by hitting it wi

Anya Shortridge: Sharon Kinney, past President of Palos Verdes Peninsula Republican Women, Federated passed away peacefully at home, in Oceanside, CA, on February 16, 2010 at age 85. Sharon was born Edna Blanche Fisher on April 11, 1924 in Boise, Idaho, she grew up with her older brother Eugene K. Fisher. Although they lived in various places, they always considered Boise their home. She was the daughter of Carrie K. Fisher and Chester C. Fisher. By age 11 she was acknowledged as a classical pianist receiving the first of many future medals and awards. Her talents were not only musical but artistic. She created many accurate and beautiful paintings over the years. As a youth she worked in a sardine cannery, but after graduation with a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Oregon, she worked as a piano teacher, and also worked for an architect/builder designing homes and running many portions of his projects.

Family was always important to Sharon. She was a kind sister, benevolent aunt and devoted wife. In 1950, she went to Brazil, when her brother began teaching aeronautics at the University of Aeronautics in Sao Paulo. Prior to moving there she lived in Rio de Janeiro where her sister-in-law, Josephine Fisher, gave birth to her 4th child. After returning to the U.S. in 1951, she joined the law firm Rosenthal and Norton, which represented many of Hollywood’s elite. She worked as a legal secretary under her supervisor Louis Cook, generating entertainment & recording contracts, along with other legal documents. She was highly trusted by both her employers and clients. Her vivacious personality and sharp wit, along with being a trustworthy confidante made her a perfect fit.

In 1965 she married Walter J. Kinney and they bought their first home in 1972, in unincorporated San Pedro. She joined Palos Verdes Peninsula Republican Women, Federated in the 1980s. Walter Kinney, sadly, died of cancer in 1989. Though the loss was greatly felt, she never stopped doing good deeds for those whom she believed needed them. She became president of PVP Republican Women, from 1991-1992. She was instrumental in helping pass Proposition 13. She asked guest lecturers to help address the club, including a former First Lady. She canvassed her neighborhood to gather signatures so that her area could be incorporated into Rancho Palos Verdes—thereby increasing the value of their homes. Though always a private person, she garnered the support and admiration of many well known and respected people. She was an integral part of her family and will be greatly missed.

There will be a scattering at sea of her cremains at noon, followed by a memorial service at 6 pm on Sunday, March 7, 2010 at Wayfarer’s Chapel, 5755 Palos Verdes Dr. South, Rancho Palos Verdes. Also, a reception will be held at Ports O' Call, San Pedro at 7:30PM, please advise if attending to Kitty Inouye, 760-994-3474 by Wed. March 3, 10AM.

She is survived by her nephews and nieces: Jeff Fisher of Irvine, Ann Strathern of Fredrick, MD, John Fisher of McMinnville, OR, Kitty Inouye of Oceanside, Bill Fisher of Costa Mesa, and Dana Fisher of Berthoud, CO, grandnephews and nieces, as well as great, grandniece and nephews. Also, her step-daughter Sandy Lauzon of MI, and her cousins Ruth Westbrook of Carlsbad, and Margaret Vernon of Caldwell, ID. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, please call (858)492-4400.