3rd October 1966 – 26th September 2020
By Marc J McAdam
Many of you will have known “our Annie”, whether it be through work or play.
Whichever it was, she certainly brightened up many a dull day!
But it is with great sadness that we have all lost a little light in our lives, and the world has become a little less fun without Anne-Marie Sharples, taken too early, aged 53, after a short illness.
Annie was the only daughter of the late Dougie and Joyce Moore.
She would always tell you of her childhood and what a happy time it was. Her fondest memories were of the time her parents ran the Hazel Bank Hotel in Borrowdale, a painting of the hotel taking pride of place in all the homes she had lived.
At Borrowdale Primary School she met her life-long friends Louise Roscamp, Joanne Weir and Della Parkin, who were known as teacher ‘Mrs Ridley’s Four Blossoms’.
The ‘gang’ became complete when the four started Keswick School in 1977 and hooked up with Rachel Hutchinson and Diane Pattinson.
They were all there for Annie right until the very end and were more like sisters to her.
I met Annie some years later and we remained good friends from then on, and I had the greatest honour of giving her away when she married Rob Sharples, from Cockermouth, on 8th October 2016 – “her girls” made sure every other thing was taken care of for her special day.
Annie and Rob would have celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary this week. But that wasn’t to be.
Many people in the Keswick area will have known Annie from the times she spent working in the hospitality industry.
Early days of working in the Rembrandt Restaurant (now the Lakes Bar & Bistro) in Station Street were some of her happiest.
The customers loved her as she had the biggest smile.
We will all miss her smile, her infectious laughter and her witty sense of humour.
She really was the life and soul of any party. Sadly, for Annie, that party has come to an end.
Her funeral was held on Tuesday 6th October at Christ Church, Great Broughton.
Due to the current COVID restrictions, only her husband Rob and a handful of close friends were able to say goodbye. We will be holding a memorial service at a date to be announced.
I think she will be singing and dancing again, and catching up with her beloved mum and dad.
