Sharon Lee Madhvani, 75, a long time resident of Morgan Hill, passed away at 10:58pm Wednesday, September 5, 2018, after a brief illness. She was born September 18, 1942, in San Francisco, California to the late Francis Coleman and Gwendoline Ethel Taylor Shuman.
The family later moved to Menlo Park, California where Sharon attended Menlo-Atherton High School. After completing her undergraduate degree at California State Polytechnic College at San Luis Obispo, Sharon married Kantilal (Ken) Madhvani.
They moved to San Jose and later Morgan Hill. There Sharon worked as a grade school teacher while raising her two children and managing the family farm.
Taking care of the goats and the pigs and the chickens and the cats and dogs reinforced her lifelong love of animals. She would go on to be dedicated to animal welfare. Sharon and Ken divorced in 1978.
After her divorce, Sharon completed her Master’s degree at Santa Clara University. She was a Marriage, Family, and Child Counselor in private practice in Morgan Hill, California, and then became a guidance counselor at Gavilan Community College in Gilroy, California, working with adults reentering college. Sharon always kept a place in her heart for those less fortunate, both people and animals.
After she retired, she became a committed volunteer. She loved being a part of the Friends of the Library in Morgan Hill, the Morgan Hill Dog Owners Group, and several animal rescue organizations. She also served as a docent at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. She is survived by a daughter, Serla and her husband Dave Hirschler, of Chillicothe, Ohio; a son, Bret Madhvani and his partner Dallas Everleth, of San Francisco, California; grandchildren, Josiah, Grace, Nathan, and Caleb Hirschler; a brother Mel and his wife Lauren Shuman, of Noti, Oregon; her devoted friends Louise Burton and Roger Mateo; and her nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by a half-sister, June Donegan, and a half-brother, Russ Shuman. A celebration of Sharon’s life will be held on October 20, 2018 from noon to 3:00pm at the Morgan Hill Community Center, 17000 Monterey St, Morgan Hill, CA 95037.
