Lawrence Sharnowski

Lawrence (Larry) Sharnowski was born on September 26th, 1931, at his family’s farm in Kasson Township just outside of Maple City, Michigan. He was the son of proud parents Theophil (Ted) and Julia (Fabiszak) Sharnowski. He spent his youth working on the farm for his parents, eventually moving to his Uncle Pete’s house during his teenage years to help with that farm. When asked about his life growing up he would say “it was hard work, but we always made time to go fishing and hunting, so it wasn’t so bad.” He went to school in a small one-room school house. He graduated first in his class. He always had a wink and a smile for you once you understood it was a class of eight. Upon graduation from school Larry was ready to see the world. He enlisted in the Navy and served aboard the USS Mindoro (aka the “Mighty Minnie”) during the Korean war. He used his mechanical learnings from the farm to become an airplane mechanic. During his travels with the Navy he visited Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Ireland. He enjoyed his time in the Navy, but at the end of his tour he was ready to put down roots back in his Michigan home. When he returned from the Navy he took a job with General Motors in the Detroit area. He would socialize on the weekends by attending church dances. It was at one of those dances that he met the love of his life, Mary Ann Lewandowski. Their meeting was a special connection … love at first sight. They knew they were right for each other and they were married just 6 months later on August 22nd, 1959. Larry was ambitious and in addition to working for GM, he purchased a couple of apartment buildings in Detroit. It was on Brush Street that Larry and Mary Ann welcomed daughter Mary into the world in 1962. In 1966 they would grow their family with the addition of their son, Joseph Lawrence. The early years of their marriage were good times all-around. In 1967 they made the decision to leave the apartments and continue raising their family in the suburbs. Larry and Mary Ann found their dream house in Warren, Michigan. It was a small ranch with a fenced in backyard. It was within walking distance of the elementary, junior high, and high school … a perfect place to raise their family. Once settled, Larry and Mary Ann continued to grow their family with the addition of sons David James in 1970 and Donald Alan in 1971. Larry was a great father to all his children. He worked long hours at his job and put all four kids through college, but no matter how tired he may have been he always made time to spend with his children. His job was on 2nd shift, so he would often be at work in the evenings. He would come home very late, but would still get up at 5 in the morning to take his sons hunting and fishing (many, many times). He spent the weekends making sure to spend time with his children on trips back to the Maple city area or going to the Lewandowski family farm owned by Mary Ann’s father. Larry was a truly dedicated father devoted to his family. His children have nothing but fond memories of their youth. As time passed, Larry and Mary Ann’s children grew and started families of their own. Over time, Larry was blessed with 10 grandchildren. Amber, Sarah, Madison, Brendan, Annabel, Jared, Elena, Allison, Aubrey, and Angela were all brought into the world because of the love shared by Larry and Mary Ann. Larry loved each of his grandchildren with all his heart. This was most evident by the many, many concerts and recitals he attended to see his grandchildren perform. Larry was definitely more interested in hunting and fishing than ballet and theatre, but he always attended with a smile (even if Mary Ann had to occasionally wake him during the performances). Larry continued to work for General Motors for a total of 45 years. He was proud of being a skilled tradesperson. He worked as a cutter grinder fixing tools and drill bits for GM, but he was extremely gifted with mechanical capabilities. He could fix just about anything. The best example of this would be his 1971 olive green Chevelle station wagon. Larry kept that station wagon running for over 25 years as his primary vehicle. It was amazing how long he kept it running! Outside of work and spending time with his family, Larry loved to hunt, fish and garden. He was a fishing scientist. He kept a journal of every time he fished, where he went and how many he caught. He wanted to keep track of the “hot spots” so he could maximize his catch on each trip. There are many walleye in Lake St. Clair that are resting easier today, but the fish in heaven better watch out! Larry hunted for the sport, but more so for the venison. He absolutely perfected how he fixed the venison. He wouldn’t let any butchers process the meat … they couldn’t match his skill. And his garden was always bountiful. His secret was burying the waste from the deer and fish to fertilize the garden. It definitely worked! His small garden grew more than Larry and Mary Ann could possibly use. Larry’s greatest joy was sharing the bounty of his efforts. He was always giving away fish and vegetables. He loved to see the joy of others upon receiving the gifts. He would have giant cook outs with the family cooking pan after pan of venison. As much as he enjoyed eating it, he enjoyed watching others eat it even more! Larry and Mary Ann enjoyed spending time with friends and relatives. They would take trips to the casino together. They would also attend Polka festivals, with the festival at their home church being a highlight of the year (St. Anne’s Sausage Festival). Larry was a fighter. In 1993 he was diagnosed with cancer. In a short time, he lost his prostate, a section of colon, and one of his kidneys to the cancer. He amazed his family and the doctors by not only surviving, but thriving over the next 25 years. He wanted to live and be with his family for as long as possible. Mary Ann took the absolute best care of him to make sure this happened. Larry would occasionally be tempted to cheat on his kidney diet. Sometimes Mary Ann would let him, but other times she would stop him by simply saying “Larry” with a tone in her voice that only Mary Ann could achieve. More than a desire to live, love kept Larry alive. The love Larry had for Mary Ann and the love Mary Ann has for Larry was evident every day in everything they did! Anyone who was blessed to be around them can see that their souls are truly joined. Over the past year, Larry’s one surviving kidney continued to lose capability. He survived for months with only 10 percent function. In the end, he couldn’t fight any longer. It was time for him to go home to the Lord. He passed away in his home during the night. Larry is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Mary Ann, his children Mary (David) Campbell, Joseph (Rana) Sharnowski, David (Leanne) Sharnowski, Don Sharnowski, and his 10 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Philip (Sharon), and sister Barbara. Also surviving are sisters Virginia and Esther, and many, many other relatives. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Kidney Fund.

Lawrence Sharnowski

September 26, 1931 - March 10, 2019