Murray John Sharkey

Murray John Sharkey Murray John Sharkey, 80, died Thursday, September 6, 2007. The service will be at 1:30 p.m. EDT today, September 8, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. The family will receive friends following the service in the parish hall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Lighthouse Children's Home, 7771 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32309. Bevis Funeral Home in Tallahassee (850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com) is handling arrangements. Known to friends and family as "Sharkey," he was a native of Tallahassee and graduated from Leon High School, lettering in football and basketball. He attended Bowling Green College after wartime service in the United States Navy. Murray was Vice President of Union Electrical Supply Company for 25 years and an active community volunteer. Sharkey was a member of the Exchange Club, avid supporter of the Florida State Seminoles and lifelong member of Blessed Sacrament Church. In the 1980s, Sharkey designed and patented the Umbrella Home, an affordable, mobile structure to withstand hurricane winds. He was an active volunteer at Georgia Belle Apartments, serving breakfast, providing home repairs, transportation, lively conversation and other services for residents. He is survived by four children, Sheila Sharkey Melton, Patricia Sharkey Garner, Florance Melissa Sharkey and Thomas Dieterich Sharkey; two grandchildren, Amanda Ann Melton and Meghan Lee Melton; his high-school sweetheart and wife of 27 years, Jackie Grubbs Sharkey; and his sister, Marilynne Sharkey Meikenhous. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mrs. Katie Sharkey Pichard; sister, Margaret Sharkey Parnell; and son, John "Jack" Murray Sharkey.