Sharon Grealey

1966 - 2021

Sharon Grealey
September 18, 1966 - February 24, 2021
Apex, North Carolina - Sharon Lee Grealey passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, after three years of facing ovarian cancer with unwavering courage. She was 54.
Born on September 18, 1966, to Kevin and Lee Grealey, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sharon grew up in New Jersey and in Cary, North Carolina, and she graduated from Apex High School in 1984. She then attended Wake Forest University, graduating in May of 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.
After graduation, she began a legal career that spanned more than three decades, interning first for the U.S. Attorney's Office and the North Carolina Department of Justice before joining Brooks, Stevens, and Pope as a legal administrator, working there for almost 25 years. She later worked at Wilson Ratledge in a legal administrator role, as well.
Sharon was everyone's favorite aunt, making all of the kids' birthday cakes when they were younger, and baking their choice of cookies for birthdays as they got older. Keeper of all the family history and lore, Sharon made separate photo albums for each of her siblings to ensure milestones and moments would not be forgotten. And she was a faithful caregiver for her father throughout multiple illnesses, helping him with unswerving patience despite the many bumps in the road along the way.
Sharon was undoubtedly the family's moral compass. Always striving to do the right thing, she was ever at the ready to step in to help her siblings where she could, supporting them with love, patience, and when needed, a gentle nudge in the right direction. Additionally, more often than not, it fell to Sharon to provide news to New York relatives and friends of family goings-on in North Carolina while also letting her brothers and sister know where they should be and when for family reunions and events in New York — no mean feat.
Sharon was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November of 2017, and while she was pragmatic about the prognosis, she was always hopeful and always looking toward the next treatment. She took part in a Phase 1 trial with a steadfast determination to help others facing the same disease. Throughout the course of her illness, she was constantly motivated by her nephew, Logan, who overcame acute lymphoblastic leukemia. From the beginning until the end of her bout with cancer, she was nothing but brave, nothing short of heroic while always bearing obstacles and setbacks with grace and resolve.
Dogs had a special place in Sharon's heart, and she was a dedicated volunteer with the SPCA of Wake County, where she adopted her dog, Poppy. And while growing up, she was the one everyone in the family counted on to look after and care for the Grealey dogs — Heidi, Creepy, and Speck — as well as her oft-lamented pet rabbit, Miss Bunny.
Sharon will live on in the memories of her sister Carolyn and brothers, Kevin Jr. and Edward, as well as brother-in-law Leo Rotondaro and sister-in-law Mary Beth Grealey. She will be remembered with love by her nephews, godson Garrett, Kyle, Seamus, and Logan, and her niece, Clare. She leaves behind her cherished aunts and many beloved cousins. Sharon was preceded in death by her parents, Kevin and Lee, and her brother, Brian.
In accordance with Sharon's wishes, there will be no public memorial service. If you wish to remember Sharon by making a charitable donation in her name, the family asks that you consider either the SPCA of Wake County (https://spcawake.org/) or The Leukemia And Lymphoma Society (http://www.lls.org/).