James Share

James Alfred Share, of Brodhead WI, passed away at the age of 94 on September 22, 2024, at the Monroe Hospice Home.
Born on August 16, 1930, Jim was the youngest of the three children of Max and Edythe Share, Max was the proprietor of Share City Service, a fuel oil delivery business, and Edythe worked as a nurse. Max and Edythe were devout Christians. Jim, following in their footsteps, was a dedicated member of St. Rose of Lima in Brodhead and St. Victor's in Monroe.
Raised in Monroe, Jim loved the outdoors and sports. While a Chicago Cubs fans as a boy, he became frustrated with the Cubs always losing to the St. Louis Cardinals. "If you can't beat them join them," Jim said. He switched his allegiance to the St. Louis Cardinals, cheering for his boyhood hero Stan Musial.
Jim graduated from Monroe High School in 1949, where he lettered in football and track & field (pole vault and hurdles). Under Jim's picture in his senior yearbook was the quote, "To Shoot a Buck Would Be His Luck."
In 1951, during the Korean War, Jim was drafted into the U.S. Army. He worked in aircraft maintenance and was stationed in Japan. Ever the outdoorsmen, Jim traded a Parker Pen for a fishing pole so that he could fish with the locals.
After the Army, Jim pursued a degree in forestry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on the GI Bill, beginning his lifelong love for the Badgers. It was there, in front of the Memorial Union, that he met the love of his life, Mary Hein, in 1953. The two were an odd yet perfect match: she was studious, while Jim preferred going out fishing or shooting pool. They married on June 30, 1956, at St. Rose Church in Brodhead, starting a life together that spanned more than six decades.
In 1957, they moved to Mary's hometown of Brodhead, WI. Together, they built a home on 7th Avenue in 1960, where they raised six children- Sue, Laura, Cathy, Sally, Mike, and Stephen-and where Jim would reside for the rest of his life.
With a young family to support, Jim abandoned his quest for a degree in forestry and instead took a job at Beloit Corporation. Later, with the offer of higher pay, Jim went to work at General Motors in Janesville, until his retirement in 1988. Despite dropping out of college, Jim always stressed the importance of education to his children, and to his credit, all six of his children have advanced degrees.
From the maternal side of his family, Jim inherited a love of gardening and outdoor activities. Jim always had a big garden. He also enjoyed fishing and hunting. Jim had a passion for all sports, especially baseball, which he loved playing and coaching with his children and their friends.
After retiring, he and Mary enjoyed traveling together, highlighted by a summer working at Denali National Park where Jim enjoyed the incredible trout fishing. Jim proclaimed that if he had gone to Alaska as a young man he would have never left.
Jim is preceded in death by his parents, Max and Edythe (Sturzinger) Share, and sisters Ruthella Flannery and Maxine Helland. He is survived by his wife Mary (Hein) Share, and children Suanne (Kurt) Reed of Fort Atkinson, WI; Laura (Eric) Bingner of Fort Atkinson, WI; Catherine (James) Butts of Fort Atkinson, WI; Sally (Brad) Saunders of Brodhead, WI; Michael (Rose Courie) of Winston-Salem, NC; and Stephen (Melanie Kranz) of Middleton, WI, along with 13 Grandchildren and 16 Great-Grandchildren.
A Memorial Mass is being held, at St. Victors Church in Monroe on September 26th at 11:30am, visitation starting at 10am.