A precious gem in our family

She was a shining example of how we should all treat each other. Always the gracious hostess, whether at work or at home. Denise would try to make everyone's dreams come true. And she did for herself and Joe, as well as anyone else who happened to come into her life.

We joined Joe & Denise in NYC for a few days one time. Since we are frequent visitors to NYC, Cholly & I looked forward to it. However, in all the years that we had been going to that wonderful city,(we spent our honeymoon there 40 years ago) we never saw or experienced as much as we did with Denise as our tour guide. She walked our tootsies off. In fact, I had to buy a better pair of walking shoes while we were there. Denise paid for them before I had a chance to. When I told her that I had never been to the top of the Empire State Bldg., she surprized me by putting it on the agenda for the next day.

Even as she lay dying, she wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of....her hospital bed was in front of their Murphy bed in the apartment. When we all arrived in San Fran a few weeks before she died, she wanted Joe to take the hospital bed down so that we could use the Murphy bed instead of staying in a hotel. She never stopped being concerned about others.

I guess the best way to sum up Denise in our lives, is to say that she made everyone feel so special. Goodbye Denise....we love you....and thanks for the memories.

Always in our thoughts,
Cholly and Bridget

Absolutely delighted in making others happy

And you wait, keep waiting for that one thing
which would infinitely enrich your life:
the powerful, uniquely uncommon,
the awakening of dormant stones,
depths that would reveal you to yourself.
. . . Ranier Maria Rilke

Denise was that person who enriched your life. Once loved, always loved. We were sisters-in-law only briefly, but remained friends and the times that we did share I will always treasure. I enjoyed hearing her deep, husky voice laugh with her quick and sardonic wit; my mind didn’t work that fast so I just listened most of the time! My daughter Leia loved her presents… wonderfully creative and ingenious wrapping that always revealed an original, eclectic, unique "only from Aunt Denise" gift inside.

Several years ago I was in the city and Denise took me to lunch. We sat in this open air restaurant and she excitedly told me about plans to send her mom on a cruise. She was so giving and absolutely delighted in making others happy. I’m glad she was able to do and see so much and share herself with all of us. I am blessed having known her.

Love & hugs, Aleli

she trucked no bs

the thing about denise that i admired so much, aside from her vibrancy and her openess to all new things, her love of people and her readiness to help whomever might need help, was that she put up with absolutely no bs from anyone. whether it was her friends trying to pull a fast one, a loved one fooling themselves, a club owner trying to jerk the entertainment around, or simply a snotty hotel desk clerk, denise never let anybody get away with any crap. she kept everybody around her honest. she was not afraid to speak her mind. to those that didn't know her, she might have seemed like a pain in the butt. however, to those that did know her, she definitely was a pain in the butt. but the kind of pain that made people aware of their own dissembling, their own selfish hypocrisy, their own load of crap that had nothing to do with reality and everything to do with their own petty agendas.

denise was so full of life, and nothing ever got her down. she was tireless in her quest for living, and for seeing as much of the world as humanly possible. she did more things in a year than i will do in my whole lifetime. i miss her so much. the world is much darker today without her.

as sira said below, we have both seen so many wonderful places in this world because of denise, either with her and joe, or upon her suggestion. she was indispensable as a tour guide, and irreplacable as a friend.

i found a pic of her, me, and mike bossier doing improv at spaghetti jam back when we were young a million years ago...


we love you so much denise.

We all have such fond memories of Denise. Jimmy and I remember her as a vibrant caring woman with a beautiful smile and an incredibly loving wife to my brother. But the thing we will remember most and miss the most are her hugs.
Love forever, Mary and Jimmy

Denise

Denise was the best actress I ever worked with. I never knew whether she was really crying. Denise was also my big sister, mother substitute and conscience.
When I was recently homeless and destitute she made sure to lend me more money than I needed at a crucial time. I'm sure Joe had something to do with it. She offered, I didn't ask.
In Schwienfurt Germany in '86, the Pros From Dover lined up laundry in hand while Denise washed the clothes in the hotel room sink. Our clothes were dirty and she didn't trust us to wash them ourselves.
Late '70's - Denise threw me over her shoulder (I weighed about 190) and ran off the stage, as scripted, head first into a pillar offstage. She calmly backed up, put me down, and went on with the show. I went to a show I produced at that venue last week, and Denise went with me. She spent many hours on that stage and made it a better place, I am very grateful to have shared some time with her.
- Rodney Sheriff

The Love of the Land

The beauty of the landscape in Yosemite, the hypnotic arid air of Death Valley, the wonderous aspens around Spooner Lake and Lake Tahoe, the dark caves in Pinnacles Nat'l Park -- I experienced all this with Denise and because of Denise. She helped me get to Yosemite for my honeymoon - she stayed on the telephone for over 5 hours to get me a reservation for Memorial Day weekend 1984 - when I got married. Other times the four of us Shark, Denise, Gil & I traveled to the national parks - we relied on Denise to figure out which were the best hiking trails, swimming holes, where to stay, when to go. We always had a blast. We went so many place together, enjoyed so many meals, like lobster tacos in Puerto Nuevo, Mexico, checked into so many hotels. Denise will always be with me because she opened my eyes to so much of the western landscape. Whenever I'm roaming, I'll be seeing her and she'll be whispering in my ear - "O look at that" And we'll be admiring the flowers together.
Denise you've made a huge impression on me and there is always a part of you that lives on with me.
Friendship - that's what we have.
Sira Windwer

My sister-in-law,my friend

Back in April of1996, Dan and I visited Joe and Denise for a few days at the beginning of our 2 week,first-time visit to California. We had a wonderful time....Denise and Joe walked our tootsies off ....up and down every hill in San Fran...we ate in, we ate out, we slept on the Murphy bed,we took the ferry out to Alcatraz!!!!... my refrigerator magnet still holds it's place of honor!...and then when we came home that night, we rented the movie Alcatraz ....spotted a whale off Point Reyes....ate in a favorite seafood restaurant of Denise's.....we spent the day at Muir Woods,among the redwoods ...Denise made sure we did everything...even spent time at the wharf, watching the seals.....we had a really good time....but the best thing Denise did for us was to re-route our itinerary...our plan was to drive down the coast, sightseeing along the way, eventually making our way to San Diego....but Denise was beside herself when she found out we weren't going to stop at Yosemite Nat'l Park....it didn't matter that it was a 4 hr detour, in the opposite direction of where we were heading! She picked up the phone, and made reservations for us in a cabin (a miracle to get at such short notice....the next day!!!!! )....she told us we wouln't be sorry....and guess what? We were not! We found ourselves in a little log cabin at the base of El Capitan!!! It was magnificent,awesome, and incredible! Yosemite took our breath away, and opened up a world we never knew! Spending those few days there sowed the seeds of adventure for Dan and I......Thank you, Denise, for showing us how to think out of the box! And thank you for diplomatically (not!)...pointing out how we had overpacked....another good lesson learned!
Dan and I always cherished that time we spent with you! And all the other good times, as well! I miss you already, dear friend, your vibrant spirit was amazing! You always made us feel important to you. You faced your death as you faced your life....with grace and courage. In our last conversation, you told me ..." I have had a great life, I have done all that I wanted, I have had a good husband,family and friends....." and then in the spirit that was so Denise, she then said "Enough about me, how are those boys?"
I will miss you!
love,
Maureen( Sharkey)

The Naked Waitress

THE NAKED WAITRESS: She was bold, sassy, confident, very funny and very loving. During the time we worked together, she made me laugh...............all the time! She was full of stories. One of my favorites was of a "waiter's nightmare". In her dream or nightmare, of sorts, she was working at HART'S. The restaurant was quite large, two floors and every table was full, and she was alone. Oh yes, and she was naked! One would think that might be a problem, but, oh no, not for Denise. Her only problem was........."where do I put my pens????" How life changes in the blink of an eye. Here today, gone tomorrow. How fragile we all are. I'll miss you, Denise. You and Bob get the restaurant ready. I'll be there is due time.

Love,

Susi
March 12th, 2008

Thank You

It was many years ago and a land far away that Denise and I stumbled onto 149 Powell Street and a place called Improvisation Inc. It was a workshop that was an offshoot of the Committee and a weeks full of classes and weekend performances cost us 5 bucks. It was there I first met Denise. Out of this workshop came a producer, who put Denise, myself and two others in a show named the Garrett, at the old Committee Theatre. We were stunned that anything could come of something so fun. We had dreams of glory in our eyes and with the passage of time, those dreams never faded or dimmed. The adventures began at that small workshop and they took us to many wondrous places. With Denise I have spent many years and traveled many miles. We shared many days and nights of laughter and joy and although time and space passed between us, the connection was instant, the times were crystallized. Thank you for sharing your time, your smile. Thank you for all the memories I have of you and the person you helped me become. Michael Bossier

Thank you Aunt Denise! Thank you Uncle Joe!

Thank you Aunt Denise! for being such a fun part of our family!

My wife Traci and I were blessed to experience hanging out with Uncle Joe and Aunt Denise. When we saw them we were always greeted (attacked) with an Aunt Denise hug. She would then reference the previous year's Christmas card and tell us how beautiful our children were. I feel an emptiness and I am so sorry that we weren't able to have our children see her more to enjoy her laughter, happiness and beauty. I can only hope that as their lives go on, they get the chance to meet and enjoy someone like Aunt Denise. She will always be remembered! For bringing this incredible woman that is so special into our lives, thank you Uncle Joe!

With all our love,
Your Nephew Richie and Family: Traci, Rich Jr., Sara, Sean & Ryan

My friend Denise

Good bye my dear friend Denise. I'll try not to be maudlin knowing it would irritate the hell out of you but you know damn well I'll miss you terribly. Who else is going to say immediately and in a loud voice what the rest of us are thinking? Maybe you were born with a silver foot in your mouth but your absolute bewilderment at the ignorance, incompetence and especially the small mindedness of others could only be marveled at out loud. I can say there were times when even I was taken aback by your astonishing candor but that vulnerability that you were loath to admit always shown through to reveal the kindest and warmest of hearts beneath your outraged scorn. I also have to say that to be honored by one's piers in the hard scrabble restaurant business is the greatest gift and to return that gift to one you admire is a rare pact of friendship indeed. I felt we shared that pleasure. And speaking of pleasure, I gotta say that whenever I was around you, I felt that there was a real joy that radiated from you. I felt that the last time we saw each other last summer when you showed me around the woman's club you managed, especially when you showed me your office, the wonderful light filled library.

There's much more for me to say and it will come out slowly as I realize you're gone. I'm sure you'll continue to have plenty to say and I just want to add that in spite of your brilliance and wit, there were a couple of times when even you were left speechless. Do you remember the time when Deborah came up to you during a lull at the lunch shift at Harpoon Louis' and said "My God! Your feet are HUGE!"

Oh, and one more thing. Since you ALWAYS have to have the last word:

I'll be seein' ya.

Rick

Denise had a beautiful, purposeful walk

I liked Denise from the moment I met her, but I really grew to love her when we started hiking together. I was unemployed and she and Joey had just started their retirement so we had the beautiful Bay Area that Denise loved and knew so well as our own personal playground. To Bass Lake or Point Reyes or down the peninsula, through forests, on beaches, along the bluffs we'd ramble and talk…and talk…and talk. The comics in the newspaper, old movies, wild flowers, Broadway and Europe, books, The New Yorker, history, language, and also love and life and death and everything between, Denise's world was so filled with passion for beauty and ideas and people that we could have spent a thousand thousand days walking and never wanted for topics or for laughs. Those were long, magical, crystal, sun-washed, stolen days that will rank among the best I ever hope to have.

A few years back I told Denise that I'd met a woman I liked and I was thinking of asking her on a date. "Take her hiking," Denise told me, "and bring sandwiches." I did. My wife of 4+ years now, Leah joined our hikes and we found we functioned as well a quartet as we had as a trio. We soon became the beneficiary of Denise's legendary love of and prowess for travel. We met up in a little Umbrian hill town called Spello. Denise booked a wonderful vacation house where we settled in for a solid week of Italian bliss. The rhythm of those days was so pure: drinking coffee in the mornings, venturing out for the Herald Tribune and sharing one crossword puzzle among us, marching all over Italy (Denise had a beautiful, purposeful walk), 20 miles in one day, eating ice cream, playing cards in the evenings and right on down the line down to the last detail. We have a picture on our mantel I've been looking at nearly every day of Joe and Denise and Leah and I eating dinner there and all looking wonderfully happy.

Less than a year ago (seems like such a short time now) we met up with Joe and Denise in NY to see a few shows and then spend time on the Jersey Shore. When we finally reached the hotel in Manhattan (Leah 6 months pregnant, hot and tired) Denise sprung into action and was a blur. She had snacks for us and fruit and bagels for breakfast the next day and were we o.k. and here's where to go if we needed anything and could she do anything for us and a hundred little tips and things to make us feel welcome and comfortable in the home away from home she'd picked out for all of us. That was Denise.

She was gracious, classy, generous, loving, kind, fascinating, witty, sophisticated, beautifully mannered, reverent, irreverent, funny, intelligent, curious, and hungry for experience and for life and for the good in life.

I was so flattered that Denise took me as a friend. I looked up to her and I thought the world of her. Whether it was the Chinese New Year's treasure hunt, the lighting of the Christmas trees on Nob Hill, a poker party, standing on a midtown street corner dissecting a play we'd just seen or goofing off playing Boggle and catching Jeopardy, I've always treasured my time with her and with Joe as something special. I find myself sitting here sifting through so many vivid memories and hearing echoes of conversations, hearing her voice and feeling a tremendous sense of loss and sadness that my friend is gone. I learned so much from her about life and about how to be happy. I miss her.

- Brady Bellis

Neighbors for years, but only got to know Denise & Joe recently...playing games and pool parties in Mill Valley...we were born the same year, along with that great Chevy...an immediate connection and an impression that will last forever in my heart....laughter the key to her earthly life...and I'm sure she has the Angels rollin' in the clouds.

Kathy Stefano

One of a Kind

Although we had spent time with Denise and Shark in Philadelphia, New York, the Jersey Shore and San Francisco, including attendance at The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde which could strain any relationship, we had our first “vacation” together in March 2003. Denise & Shark drove from San Francisco via Phoenix, New Orleans and several national parks and we flew from Philadelphia to Clearwater, FL. Denise found a great 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment at the Parker Manor in Clearwater Beach. One on the highlights of that trip happened on Monday March 17th. We awoke to find the living room transformed; there were shamrocks and leprechauns everywhere and, of course, The Quiet Man on TV. Denise had even baked Irish Soda Bread. She schlepped the decorations and ingredients cross country all for her love, her Shark, to celebrate his 54th birthday. It was truly a memorable vacation.

When we think of Denise, many words come to mind including warm, smart, funny, efficient. However, in our opinion, the one that describes her best is “generous.” She was generous with her ideas, her opinions, her time and her laughter. But most of all, she was generous with her love. From the first time we met her more than 25 years ago to the last time we were together in June, she always made us feel that we were important. We regret that we did not get to spend more time together but will treasure the wonderful times we shared and remember her with greatest affection. Thank you, Shark, for giving us the opportunity to know Denise and for sharing her with us and all your East Coast family and friends.

Mary and Kell

A Real Sweetie

Though she and Uncle Joe didn’t get to see us often here in Philly, Aunt Denise liked to keep up with things. She asked for, and usually received, pictures of our boys in their Christmas card every year, because she liked to keep them on the fridge. When we did see each other, she would take my face in her hands and tell me how lovely I was or some other sweet phrase. I smile to remember her, years ago, saying that I dare not call her “aunt” since I was only eight years younger than she was. So sometimes I did, and sometimes I didn’t, but the love and respect for a great lady was always there. She will be missed.

- Maureen Macomber

When next we meet

Kathy and Lorenzo
Neither time nor distance ever took its toll on the way we felt about Denise. Her smile was always as bright and warm as the first day we met.

Kathy
Seeing Denise always made me happy.

Lorenzo
Denise was as funny and witty as anyone who has ever crossed my path. The laughs I shared with Denise are the memories of her I will forever carry with me. Her take on any subject we happened to be babbling about could be whimsical and giggly or so sharp and biting that you had to step back and say, “Man, I wish I had thought of that.”
When next we meet, I’m sure the first thing we’ll do is laugh. It’s a sound I look forward to.

With our love and deepest sympathy,
-Kathy and Lorenzo Matawaran

I still have the yellow 'post it' notes from my wedding day with the words for "Daddy's Little Girl", written by Aunt Denise & Aunt Maureen. That was & still is my best wedding gift.

Love to Uncle Joe,
The Rice Clan

It will never be enough but I'll try

Dearest Denise: My friend, my neighbor, my informational fount. When I had a question, a need, or just needed a hug, I went to Denise. Over the many years we were friends, I always felt taken care of and unconditionally loved. She was the first with advice or a solution I hadn't thought of. I only realize now how dear the dinners and games afterward at Denise and Joe's house were. We always let Joe win but don't tell him. The dinners were delicious, beautifully displayed, and full of great conversation. I always looked forward to a bag hanging on my door; that meant I had some scrumptious meal waiting for me or something that Denise had seen during her day that she thought I might like. Her organizational skills were beyond compare. I'm truly surprised we can get anything done without her. I have no words for how much I will miss dear Denise. I only hope to be as good a friend to my friends as she was to me.

XXOO,

Teresa

E.Nevada, N.Donegal tremble over great loss:

I find it hard to believe in co-incidence in the 21st century... I submit the following two items as evidence that our dear Mother Earth does mourn (and sometimes stamps her feet.) --Shark

Published: Friday Feb 22, 2008
North Donegal rattled by Norwegian earthquake
By Amy Rose Harte North
Donegal was buzzing with speculation yesterday (Thursday, 21st) that a mini-tremor was to blame for waking thousands of terrified locals out of their sleep. The tremor was reported to have struck the region at around 2:46 AM on Thursday, and was felt right across parts of Inishowen, stretching as far west as Gweedore.

=========================================

Strong quake strikes Nevada's gold country
Thursday Feb 21, 6:55 PM ET
By Doug McMurdo
Wells, Nevada (Reuters) - A strong earthquake in northeastern Nevada badly damaged the historic center of a remote town and injured several people at dawn on Thursday, but nearby mining operations were only briefly disrupted. The 6.0 magnitude quake near the town of Wells damaged an estimated 400-700 homes, the high school and some churches.

Eyes wide open...

It was 1976. From the Intersection on Union Street (Powell-Mason) on a shirtsleeve-warm San Franciscan Friday night that I tagged along with a few other stand-up comedians over to 'catch some improv' at the Old Spaghetti Factory on Green Street in North Beach... I found two loves of a lifetime that night.

She was on stage with 'Spaghetti Jam' when I first saw her. Her stage presence was solid; her movements, fluid. When she spoke, it was Lauren Bacall meets Eve Arden.

Her voice deep, sexy and bitingly witty; I was immediately enamored, practically enameled....

Joe Sharkey

Her laughter always filled the room

There was no better sound than her knowing laugh. The one that let you know she thought whatever you were saying was funny, which coming from her was no faint praise. She knew her funny. The same laugh, that also signaled she knew where you were going with 'it'. You could hear it coming with her breath, just a nanosecond before the laughter left her throat and hit your ears. She always got the joke, even the feeble or unformed ones. Years of improv had trained her to anticipate it at the threshold, before it dashed through the door and caught you unawares. Actually her talent was inherent. Improv may have honed the quick wit she was blessed with, but her level of skill was certainly natural born. To put an even finer point on it, most of the time, she probably knew the punchline of my stories before I did... and had a capper ready, to plop like a cherry on top! Quite a gracious fit for an improviser, waiting politely for your delivery, so she could counter with her own perfected bon mot. What a thrill she was to work with, what a joy that she was just as giving off stage. Here's the thing, most performers are a bit self-centered & selfish. (a bit?) It's part of the job description. Denise was above all that. Not only did she have funny down cold, but she coaxed the funny out of you in that playful way of hers. She was always up for a little of the old back and forth, the wordplay, even a sarcastic remark or two. (or two?) All in the service of letting the big laughs rip and fill the room. Denise was always my best audience and I flatter myself to think I truly tickled her with my silliness from time to time. I know the music of her giggle, her throaty guffaw, and even the supportive snicker will not fade away soon. I hold them too dear. 

- Jeannene Hansen, fellow improviser, friend and cohort

Worldly women "who had been around"

I first met Denise in the workshop run by our improv group, The Wing. She was young, but something about her suggested to me those tart-tongued women with hearts of gold whose cynical wise-cracks and snappy advice livened up movies of the forty's and fifty's. These were worldly women. They were, in the discrete phrase of those times, women "who had been around."

I once told Denise I'd speculated that when she was born, the doctor looked her over and said, "That kid's been around."
-------------------
There was an aspect of Denise that seemed a little displaced in time. She expressed surprise that I didn't listen to "Make Believe Ballroom," a radio program that played the jazz and band music of earlier generations. She liked old movies that showed earlier times, especially San Francisco decades ago. I was pleased to be able to tape for her a showing of "The Lineup," filmed in San Francisco in the sixty's and ending in a chase sequence that culminated at Sutro's bath house, one of the that city's lost treasures.
-------------------
Denise was a valuable member of our improv group, The Wing. In one of the set pieces, a parody of a commercial demonstrating brand loyalty, she played a shopper offered a choice between a her box of Tide and a valuable alternative.

"Denise. I'm going to take away your box of Tide and give you ... a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!"

Denise always got maximum laughs as you watched her silently considering the offer, considering the stick, wavering, then finally reaching the confident decision that she was staying with Tide. Thus proving,

"You just can't get them to switch!"

The laughs weren't in the words but in acting, which she played to perfection.
-------------------
The Wing dissolved and scattered. In Los Angeles, Denise wanted to move to New York, but was worried she wouldn't find a place to live. My wife and I assured her that of course she'd find a place to live, pointing out,

"...you're not going to move to New York and find people standing on street corners with all their belongings because they couldn't find a place to live."

It was a joke then, and Denise found a nice midtown apartment. Today, people without a place to live is now no longer a joke. The only reason I could occasionally visit San Francisco is that Denise and Joe made their great apartment there available to me while they were traveling. That generosity was typical of her, and of them.
-------------------
In New York Denise and I worked on a comedy act. She probably would have had a better chance of succeeding on her own. But she worked hard on the act and pushed me to match her efforts. We rehearsed at my apartment almost every afternoon. She didn't care for subways, so she solved her transportation problem by roller-blading the many blocks from her apartment to mine. At that time a tall blond on roller blades was not a common sights on the streets of midtown Manhattan or the lower East Side. Denise might have helped move the Southern California trend eastwards.
-------------------
She worked at a restaurant in Manhattan that catered to foreign tourists. Many of her customers came from countries where the management added the tip to the check, so they didn't personally tip. Again she employed her problem solving skills by simply writing what she considered a suitable tip on the check before presenting it. She said no one ever complained.
-------------------
The mystery of how someone so alive, so much a part of other's lives, someone with so much more to give, can suddenly be gone, is beyond understanding. There is no explanation, no comprehension, no consolation. If there is any solace to found it is this: She had the wonderful gift of knowing how to get the most out of living, of doing the work necessary to find the joy in life. Her life was short, but full. She'd been around.
-------------------
-Terry Day

a Mona Lisa smile

What would I say about Denise besides how much I loved her, respected her. valued her for so many characteristics, charms, honesty, tough love, compassion, humor and to me, true sweetness.

I first met Denise when she worked for Brad Stark at Hart's, a financial district white linen restaurant and saloon owned by a real estate speculator who lost everything he ever inherited and more trying to be something he never was. Then the poor bastard went dancing with a 300 lb. floozy who crushed his foot while dancing, and he wound up losing that foot along with the restaurant and all of his assets.

That hapless drunk hired me and my partner, Jimmy Brandt, to salvage his business and I met Denise and immediately liked her, and for a couple of years didn't know she was a drunk herself until she became one of the main characters in a series of joints Brandt and I owned and operated including O' Bannion's Powderworks, Harpoon Louie's, The Baja Beach Club and finally The Whale. She was a rock in an unstable, dysfunctional soap opera that was populated by people who loved her and who I believe she loved too. Susi and She, Rick and Bill, Jimmy and Karyl, Jill, Wendy and a host of other single gals, Sparky, Danny Dolan, Kenny Weed, Michael Barrett, Deborah Pritchard, and a rich cast of customers who loved and participated in this Cheers family. After knowing Denise several years I learned she had quit drinking, and I was so oblivious I hadn't known she had a problem or found a solution. She practiced humility in so many ways, she was honest, open and willing, generous, tough and a proud woman who told it like she saw it. There was something powerful for me in her always being present and able to do her job with professionalism, dignity, charm and dispatch.

One of my favorite photo's is of her sitting on a banquet at Harpoon Louie's after the lunch rush, so lady like, her long blonde hair spilling lushly, a cigarette in hand with smoke curling up, that smile of patience, acceptance and humility and a Mona Lisa smile that spoke volumes about her charm and restraint. She showed up for all our drunken cast parties, and was part of this extended family of choice that loved one another as only a family can. She was always resolute, dignified, smart, independent, true to herself and those she cared about, and demonstrated courage and compassion.
-Stu Smith

Uncompromised life between work and art

There are very few assignments a writer likes to get, but none more than the one which asks you to write an anecdote, a remembrance, and a memory, of a loved one who has just passed on. It is especially hard when they’re taken away when they’re young. Painful when that person has played such an important role in your life. I doubt that I’ll be the only one of Denise’s friends and family, and of course Joe, who will have trouble grasping this unexpected tragedy. I know how much they loved her; I can only imagine how much they’ll miss her.

Sad is not my forte. Nor is serious. I met Denise in New York in the late seventies, 79, I think. We were cast in a play called TOM TOM. It’s plot revolved around a young man coming to grasps with having a disease that should only be whispered. Epilepsy. At the time, I was a practicing epileptic, and the play was about twenty years behind the times. But Denise and I both bonded instantly, through laughter. And not positive happy laughter. Mean spirited and petty laughter. We’d start by making fun of the play, then other actors, then each other, then we’d go out for drinks and make fun of everybody in the New York comedy scene (of which, at the time, we were part of, but didn’t realize it). Denise, being new to the city, and thankfully friendless, found a friend in me for life. She was stunningly beautiful and sexy. Her throaty laugh and knowing eyes, wise so far beyond her years, I had never met anyone so fiercely independent, smart and self knowing. It was as if Sophie Tucker had been reincarnated as Jessica Rabbitt. I was instantly hooked. I made a few life-changing decisions, the details of which I’m sure Denise wouldn’t want me to dive deeply into, and we moved into her apartment on 47th between Lex and Third. And when I say “we”, of course I mean “her”. She demanded that I get my own place, which I did, a filthy rat hole on 36th and 9th. I rarely stayed there, but Denise needed me to have a place I could go to when she kicked me out. I guess this should have been my first hint that we weren’t in this for the long run, but what the hell. She was so damn funny and so goddamn pretty.

The next year or so is filled with fun, fights and me manning up in a way that only a woman like Denise can man a man up. She taught me how to stand my ground, she taught me how have discipline, to fail, to get up and do it again. I don’t know if I taught her anything, except that she was talented and hot. She could see that in the way I looked at her.

She formed a comedy team, with Terry Day, a comic she knew from San Francisco. She pushed me to rejoin my own comedy partner. We worked the same clubs, the IMPROV, and a dump named GOOD TIMES, and it was. Denise and Terry did classic Nichol’s and May comedy. It was a great act. My act basically consisted of me climbing on my partner and acting like a monkey. Denise was witty and sophisticated. She had heart. She couldn’t compromise her art, she never would. New York pretends to be sophisticated, but it’s just really good at pretending. I could hear the clock ticking.

I won’t go into the specifics of our break up, other than to say I was totally at fault and deserved to have that full pot of hot coffee flung at. As I ducked and ran out, I knew that even though we were not meant to be, we were meant to be friends. Soon afterwards she moved back to San Francisco and her Joe, where she found the uncompromised life between work and art, a happy harmony she was able to maintain for many years. It’s as if Denise knew she hadn’t as much time as the rest of us, and so she made sure she wasn’t wasting any time doing anything she didn’t want. In New York, I had begun wasting her time, so she threw a pot of scolding hot coffee at me. Seems like a good way to get rid of any problems.

I am going to miss her very very much.
-Jim Vallely

Denise Marlene Sharkey nee Schultz

9/27/1955 - 3/4/2008

Survived by husband, Joseph M. Sharkey (San Francisco); mother, Betty Krause Clary (San Diego); father, Willard W. Schultz (Grass Valley); sister, Jeneine Schultz Bazinet, brother-in-law, Greg Bazinet, niece Anne-Marie Jewell, nephew Ryan Bazinet (Phoenix); brother, Joel Schultz, s-i-l Theresa Wicktor Schultz, niece, Audrey Schultz (Quincy,CA) and niece, Leia Schultz (Eureka, CA) and brother Adam Schultz, s-i-l Joanie, nephew Dylan, nieces Megan and Sierra along with many grieving in-laws, the “Cousins” , aunts, uncles, great nieces and nephews from coast to coast, border to border, and across the Seas. She was pre-deceased by sisters Julianne Schultz & Tiffany Schultz, and step-father Michael D. Clary

Actress, stand-up comic, improvisational comedian, Waitress, club housekeeper, beloved wife, devoted daughter, solid sister, and adored aunt to hundreds, Denise’s love of travel and studies of things european and epicurean would rival that of Rick Steves and Julia Child. Her self-confidence and actors training paid off many times in upgrades in planes, trains, hotels & restaurants from Nice to Nob Hill. She had a remarkable way of charming people into believing that helping her would make them a better person.

She has lived, worked, and performed in San Francisco, Berkeley, LA, New York, Germany, the Netherlands, and the 4-Way Inn, Wells, NV.

Born in Elko, weaned in Wells, raised and educated in California, Denise was a true, red, white and blue girl of the golden west.

She had a love of travel and adventure that she got from reading, and remembering what she’d read: e.g. 2 Euro$ SRO night at the Vienna Opera House (Verdi's "Falstaff" in Italian ). She & Shark, traveled all over Europe and most of the USA. They especially loved the trips to Donegal, Ireland, visiting Joe’s relatives, and to the East Coast, more relatives, catching a play a night & walking all over Manhattan by day. Mystic, CT, home of dearest of friends, Anne-Marie Smith, was also a favorite destination. Ms. Smith frequently traveled in the company of Mr.& Mrs. Sharkey.

(((( oooh, i'm getting all hitchcockian ...weee-oooohhhh)))))

But, old world castles and big cities didn’t fulfill Denise's need to stay active. She also had a love of the natural world and the joy that witnessing such beautiful chaos can only bring. She & Shark spent countless hours hiking the trails & beaches at Pt. Reyes, Mt. Tam, Big Basin, Yosemite, Death Vally, Tahoe...wherever they traveled, Denise had a hike planned. And if hot enough, a skinny-dip.

“...and pray for (her) who walked apart on the hills loving life’s miracles.” --Patrick Kavanagh

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