Sharp-Healy Family

The Story of the first two Generations

Norrie Sharp 1931 - 2013

Norrie Sharp

Norwood Alexander Sharp, or "Norrie" as he was known, was born on 29 June 1931 in Dunedin. He was named after his Aunty Jean's husband, who was Allan Norwood.

He was the youngest member of the Sharp family and was educated at Nelson College, where the family lived at the time as his parents managed the Royal Hotel. He was the school athletics champion in 1949, holding the record for the 440 yards, and received an Air Force Scholarship.

Norrie married Aileen Rebecca Thompson in 1956 and they had three sons: Gregory, Richard and Phillip. Aileen was born on 26 December 1930 in Queenstown.













Wedding - Norrie and Aileen.
Wedding - Norrie and Aileen, 1956. Norrie's brother Desmond is the best man.

Norrie was a school teacher by trade working in Dannevirke. He applied and was accepted as a United Nations Observer to Palestine in 1966 and together with his family spent three years in Damascus, Jerusalem and Tiberius. He and Aileen wrote many letters home to his mother Margaret Sharp, his sister Eileen Baker and others describing the life, environment and conditions in Syria and Israel at the time. They wrote about their life and activities, the weather (especially the heat), sightseeing historical sites, the ex-pat community, how the boys were getting on, how the locals lived, and how they longed for New Zealand-style food.

Read about the United Nations Historical Timeline of Peacekeeping and the Ministry of Defence's involvement.

When they returned to New Zealand after their UN posting, the family lived in Auckland with Jean's family for a time before moving to Australia where they ran a hotel in New South Wales for many years before retiring to Gosford, north of Sydney.

Sadly, Aileen passed away suddenly on 3 December 2010, aged 79 years, and was cremated on 10 December. She left four granddaughters Gudrun, Zoe, Georgina and Laura. You can view her obituary on the HeavenAddress website. Gregory passed away in February 2012 also at Gosford, after a short illness.

Norrie passed away on Wednesday 20 February 2013 after a short illness.

Aileen's ashes were interred at Marsden Valley Cemetery, near Nelson (Ref MVQDR001) Quail Drive, Block QDR, Plot 1 on 25 October 2011.



Norrie Sharp, Nelson College, 1949.

This photo shows Norrie in a 1949 Nelson College First XV team photo while attending Nelson College. "The 1949 Nelson College First XV. Back: Robin Ellery, Ken Vaney, H. Cameron, Pat McEwan, John McLean, Artie Dennis, John Mace, Guy Bowers. Front: Norrie Sharp, Peter Stuart, John Parker, Warren Hawke, Jules Houghton, Bob Marris, Stuart Webber."

Source: [http://photonews.org.nz/nelson/issue/NPN81_19670722/t1-body-d41.html]