Sharon Ann (Kinkade) Medak

December 5, 1945 – July 16, 2025

Sharon Ann (Kinkade) Medak, 79, a longtime Portland resident, died July 16 at a care facility in Portland.

Sharon was born Dec. 5, 1945, in Grants Pass, Ore., to Louis and Annabelle (Larkin) Kinkade, joining older brother William. The family moved to Madras when the children were young and remained there for many years.

Bill was young Sharon’s protector, on one occasion retrieving her pencils after a boy at school stole them from her. Later, he helped Sharon sneak to the high school to make sure the layer cake she had baked for the homecoming queen competition had not slid apart. It had not, and Sharon won the crown. Bill joined the Air Force, attaining the rank of captain. He was shot down over Vietnam in 1968 and remains listed as Missing in Action. Sharon never gave up hope of finding him.

Sharon moved to Portland in 1965 to attend the Northwest College of Business, eventually being hired by Pacific Northwest Bell and becoming secretary to the chief engineer. During this time, she also designed and patented a reusable envelope sticker that was in use by the Internal Revenue Service until the majority of filings moved online.

She was also selected as first runner-up in the 1975 Miss Portland Belle competition, eventually stepping in to fulfill the duties of the winner as well.

Later in her time with the phone company she worked as a trainer, teaching people how to use business phone systems. It was on one of these assignments in Klamath Falls, Ore., that she met Walt Medak, the technician assigned to install the phone system. When Walt visited Sharon in her training room, he “forgot” his toolbelt, which Sharon offered to return in exchange for a steak and lobster dinner when they returned to Portland. 

Sharon and Walt were married on July 11, 1981, at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Portland.

In 1982, they became the parents of twin daughters Julie and Gail. The twins passed away within a week of their premature birth.

In 1983, they welcomed home their daughter Tamara. Sharon spent much of Tamara’s early years giving her daughter opportunities she had not had herself, with many afternoons spent waiting for Tamara outside countless music and dance lessons.

In 1990, Sharon helped Walt start his own company, Walt Medak and Associates, a business phone system installation, maintenance, and training company. Walt had the technical know-how while she managed the office. She was a formidable spreadsheet builder; if you asked her a question, it was likely that the answer would come in the form of a spreadsheet. WMA had about 25 employees at its peak, including many retirees from the Bell Company and its successors.

Sharon loved to travel, initially with her mother, then with her closest friend Carolyn Kay. They would travel to Hawaii and stay at the Motel 6, but spent their days by the pools of fancy hotels on Waikiki. She also enjoyed visiting family in California, visited Europe as part of a UN program, and enjoyed summer trips to Ashland for the Shakespeare Festival. Later, she and Walt spent time on their boat, cruising from Portland up the coast to Puget Sound and to Alaska. She was particularly fond of the San Juan Islands.

Sharon was also noted for her sense of fun and mischief. When she first moved to Portland and was staying with her aunt and uncle, she served her cousin Bob a sandwich that included a photo of a slice of bologna in place of the lunch meat. With her step-daughters Carla and Janet, she used a can of whipped cream to draw a beard on Walt’s face as he napped. She was also particularly skilled at sneaking outside food (including fountain drinks) into movie theaters with her daughter Tamara.

In 2016, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease with Lewy Body Syndrome. She dealt with her diagnosis in her usual practical manner, going so far as to keep notes about family details, and recording videos of herself doing her hair so she wouldn’t forget how to style it. In 2019, she and Walt traveled to California to visit Tamara, vacation at Disneyland, and tour other destinations around Los Angeles. She kept every scrap of paper from that trip, to try to help herself remember.

She spent the last year in the care of Joshua Njuguna, LPN, and the staff at his care home, under the watchful eye of Walt, who was by her side every day. The help and support Joshua and his staff provided cannot be overstated.

Sharon Medak is survived by her husband, Walt; her daughter, Tamara (Marcus) Michelson, and step-daughters Carla (Tim) Willard, and Janet (Tom) James; her grandson Zachary James; along with many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her daughters Julie Ann, and Gail LeAnn, her parents, Louis and Annabelle (Larkin) Kinkade; and her brother William Louis Kinkade.

A small gathering of immediate family was held earlier in July. No services are planned. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Parkinson’s Disease research or to the American Cancer Society.