- Date Of Death: September 23, 2015
- State: Pennsylvania
On September 22, Sharon M Gausling, 55, left us to go to a better place.
Sharon was born in Berkeley, CA, to Robert and Patricia Mesmer, one of four siblings. She was a graduate of Oak Ridge Tennessee High School and the University of Notre Dame. Sharon received her M.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, and completed her residency in Pediatrics at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Sharon practiced pediatrics until 1998, at which time she shifted all of her energies to becoming a full-time mom to her son Andrei, a loving and supportive wife to her husband, Mike, and to spoil the family’s two German shepherd dogs.
As Dr. Gausling, Sharon, was a humble and caring pediatrician who treated all of her patients as though they were her own children. She felt their pain and she had a special gift to be able to bring peace where there was suffering or despair. Sharon saved many lives and helped countless children heal with her loving care. Even after shifting to being a full-time mom, Sharon never stopped being Dr. Gausling to her friends and their children.
Sharon was a terrific mom.
Sharon and Mike were married on February 29, 1992, and they celebrated their wedding at the Hotel Bethlehem. With the novelty of a leap year wedding as a leading indicator, Sharon and Mike began their 23-year journey together. While Mike was trying to grow a local business with his partners, Sharon was always there to encourage him to go for it. She was the voice of reason and stability for her family while Mike pursued his far flung ventures. As Mike’s businesses grew, Sharon was instrumental in keeping Mike’s head on straight and helping him to never lose sight of what really mattered in life, their family and friends.
Sharon had a sense of adventure and, with Andrei off to college, she embraced being an empty nester and her love of hiking, sailing, birding and her electric bike. Last year, with Mike and friends, she hiked over 75 miles at Mt. Blanc on a National Geographic trip and organized a week-long sailing trip in the British Virgin Islands. She also let her boys get motorcycles this past summer and, to everyone’s surprise, bought her own leather jacket and went on rides with them. She loved to go to Asheville, NC, and get lost in the woods with the dogs. Sharon found joy over a competitive game of Scrabble with a glass of red wine and a big fire.
In honor of Sharon’s quiet but uncompromising resolve that every child be healthy, the family has made a gift to the Second Harvest Food Bank to ensure that our community never allows a child to go hungry for generations to come. In recognition, Second Harvest’s new distribution center will be called “Sharon’s Pantry.”
Besides Andrei and Mike, left behind are her parents, Robert and Patricia Mesmer of Tellico Village, TN; Sister, Jennifer McArthur of Huntsville, AL, married to Craig McArthur, and their children Ryan, Chris and Kate; Sister, Deborah Mesmer of Rockville, MD, married to Dr. Henrik Olsen; and Brother, Dr. John Mesmer of Oakridge, TN, married to Kathleen Mesmer and their children, Hailey, Garrett and Sydney; Mother-in-law, Marcella Gausling of Hot Springs Village, AR; Brother-in-law, William Gausling and his wife, Teresa Gausling, of Modesto, CA, and their children, Jordan (and his children Mason and Noah), Michelle, and Celina; Sister-in-law Judy Williams and her husband, Steve Williams, of Carolina Shores, NC, and their children, AJ and Christy; Sister-in-law Mary Curtin and her husband, Pat Curtin, of Greer, SC, and their children Aislinn and Daniel; and Brother-in-law, Jim Gausling and his wife, Stacey Gausling, of the Dalles, OR; as well as numerous loved aunts, uncles and cousins on both sides of the family.
Sharon will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
