Sharon Doyle
Dec. 2, 1937-Aug. 8, 2012
Palo Alto, California

Sharon Claire Doyle, a lifelong resident of Palo Alto, died unexpectedly after suffering an aneurism on Aug. 8, 2012. At her bedside at Stanford Hospital were her nephews, David and Ken, and Ken's wife, Marilyn.

Sharon was born in Palo Alto in 1937 to John Kenneth and Babette (Bailey) Doyle. She had one brother, John Kenneth, Jr., who died in 2002.

Sharon attended Palo Alto High School, class of 1955. She graduated from Stanford University in 1959, majoring in sociology. Other than a few years working for SRI in Paris, Sharon spent her entire life in Palo Alto. She worked for many years as Assistant to the Dean of the Law School at Stanford University until her retirement in 1992.

Sharon was an avid environmentalist, generously donating to a number of causes such as the Sierra Club, the NRDC, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Nature Conservancy. She was a fifty year member of the Humane Society. She also gave to various progressive causes such as the ACLU and Planned Parenthood.

Sharon enjoyed puzzles, the more difficult the better. She loved to sit in a comfortable chair eating Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, while solving crosswords, sudoku, and other challenging mind games. She also enjoyed movies of all kinds from the classics to the most modern releases. Her grand nephews were pleased and amazed to hear that her favorite TV show was "The Simpsons."

Sharon had a large circle of friends, some friendships going back to elementary school (over 65 years!). These friends would meet regularly for lunches and other social events. Sharon cherished these relationships.

Sharon will be dearly missed. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Susan; her nephews, Ken and David; her dear niece-in-law, Marilyn; her grandnephews, Brian and Alex; and her grandniece, Jasmine.

A private memorial will be held. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of Sharon's favorite charities.