Edward Trivett SHARP

1954 - 2022

EDWARD TRIVETT SHARP November 15, 1954 - February 11, 2022 Ted Sharp died as he lived: with fortitude, grace, and great humour, as well as a deep, abiding love for his family. Six months after being diagnosed with cancer, Ted passed away peacefully at Princess Margaret Hospital. Despite facing a fatal illness too early in life, Ted often reflected that his life turned out better than he ever dreamed, and he was very grateful to the end for his many blessings. He will be sorely missed by his wife, Sheila; children, Matthew, Samuel (Samantha) and Katie (Max); his siblings, Susan (Roger), Joan, and Doug (Branislava); his nieces and nephews, Yusef (Cristina), Slater, and Cassandra. Ted is also survived by his cherished grandson, Tobin. Ted was born in Montreal to parents, Catherine and Robert Sharp. He grew up in Rosemere and attended McGill University for his undergraduate degree. He received a Masters of Arts in history from Queen's University and a Masters of Library Science from the University of Toronto. While at Queen's, Ted was the Rhino Party nominee to be Member of Parliament for Kingston. Running against Flora McDonald, Ted "not so" Sharp's slogan was "vote Fauna, not Flora". Ted was infamous for his mischievous wit and knack for a clever pun. Ted's life changed forever when he met the love of his life, Sheila Cliff, a fellow Queen's University history student. Their romance bloomed into a fulfilling, 40-year marriage focused on family and filled with travel, bridge, bird watching, and summers at the cottage on Tobin Island in Muskoka. Ted was a dedicated, loving father, and each of his children take after him in different ways. With his eldest son, Matthew, he shared a love of sports, especially baseball and the Blue Jays. With his second son, Samuel, he shared a deep love of the great outdoors, camping, and local wildlife. With his daughter, Katie, he shared a love of cooking, and perhaps, as Ted always joked, the same brain. Ted was the consummate librarian at the Mississauga Central Library for 36 years. His career touched on almost every one of the library's departments, but most notably the Literature, Arts, History and Geography department of which he was manager for about 15 years. Ted became Manager of Collections Management in 2007, which he felt was the best job in the world. He was the heart and soul of the library's collections from 2007-2020, ushering in new collections and formats from music CDs to blu-ray, Lightning Loans and the Raves and Faves, as well as building the Overdrive e-book and e-audiobook collections. Ted was also a dedicated volunteer for the Toronto Playgrounds baseball organization, coaching and umpiring for 20 years. He once coached four teams in the same season, and always brought bottomless energy and a genuine passion for helping kids improve their skills, no matter how talented. His booming voice was a fixture at Christie Pits, calling out balls and strikes from May to September. Ted had many passions and interests. He loved making elaborate meals for his friends and family, and regaling his guests with a good story. He loved farmers' markets, and he was known to say, "life is too short to not stop at the side of the road to buy blueberries". Thanks to Ted, the house and cottage were always lively with music. He was an avid reader, and with his outstanding memory, he was essentially a walking encyclopedia. He was also a passionate bird watcher. He felt the appearance of a Cooper's hawk in his backyard last Christmas Eve was an augury of things to come. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Birds Canada. A celebration of Ted's life will take place in Toronto in the spring. Special thank you to Dr. Prica, Dr. Waldren and the compassionate and highly skilled staff at Princess Margaret and Mount Sinai.