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Dennis Sharkey, 80, longtime mayor of Narberth

Dennis J. Sharkey, 80, of Narberth, who as the longtime Republican mayor pushed for the borough's downtown revitalization, died Thursday, Aug. 6, of a heart attack at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood.

Dennis J. Sharkey
Dennis J. SharkeyRead more

Dennis J. Sharkey, 80, of Narberth, who as the longtime Republican mayor pushed for the borough's downtown revitalization, died Thursday, Aug. 6, of a heart attack at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood.

As a born-and-bred product of the Main Line, Mr. Sharkey never strayed far from the half-mile-square borough. He lived there; was elected mayor five times, starting in the 1980s; and was the driving force behind the Downtown Revitalization Committee.

The group of business owners and citizens allied with the Borough Council persuaded the Montgomery County commissioners to help fund an upgrade of the commercial district, said Borough Manager William J. Martin.

With Mr. Sharkey and Chet Tyson as boosters, the Downtown Project, a public-private effort, spruced up the cluster of storefront shops along Haverford Avenue.

The project changed the downtown from one with a dingy, throwback look into one with Norman Rockwell-like charm. Two-income professional families flocked to the borough, driving up property values.

"It wasn't that popular initially, but it certainly worked out to everyone's benefit," said Martin. The project put the borough "ahead of the curve on economic development, public safety, and walkability," he said.

In the 1960s, Mr. Sharkey and some friends started the folksy Christmas tradition in which Santa Claus arrives on the Paoli Local at the Narberth station, to the delight of borough children. At first, only a handful showed up, "but it has grown," said Mr. Sharkey's sister, Gerry Walker.

Mr. Sharkey also was active in planning the borough's centennial celebration in 1995, his sister said.

"Those accomplishments aside, Mayor Sharkey was a man of honor and integrity with a ready smile, a quick wit, and a helping hand. He made us better than we really were," Martin said.

Part of Mr. Sharkey's charm was his personal appeal to residents such as Kathleen Valentine, who went on to become the first woman president of the borough council. She is now a district judge.

Valentine said her community involvement began when she was introduced to Mr. Sharkey.

"He encourages people to volunteer, he gets people committed," Valentine told The Inquirer in 1998. "It's amazing how much we have accomplished by volunteer work. I think he has a list. He'll pull a name from it and sweet-talk the person into doing something."

Head of the Lower Merion-Narberth Republican Committee for many years, he was first elected mayor in 1985 after his appointment in 1982 to serve the unexpired term of a predecessor. Only rarely did he have competition from Democrats.

"I believe I will win," Mr. Sharkey, then 65, told The Inquirer just before the contested Nov. 6, 2001, general election. "If you never had competition, you don't need to be nervous. I feel good about it."

He went on to serve a final term as mayor so he could continue to upgrade the seven-member police department. He also wanted to see through the completion of the downtown project. In 2005, Mr. Sharkey, then 70, decided not to seek a sixth term, paving the way for the election of Democrat Thomas F. Grady.

The son of Dennis Sharkey of County Donegal, and Sarah Kelly Sharkey of County Down, both in Ireland, he was born at Bryn Mawr Hospital. He attended St. Margaret Catholic School and then West Philadelphia's St. Thomas More High School. He took classes at Villanova.

Mr. Sharkey started his career selling typewriters for Remington Rand. He later owned and operated his own electronics company, CST, in Bala Cynwyd. He was most widely known, though, as chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Assessment, working from the courthouse in Norristown, where his office was decorated with pictures of covered wagons and soaring bald eagles.

"He was the patriarch and the glue that held our family together," his relatives said in a tribute. "His kindness, humor, and love for country, church, and family will always be missed."

Besides his sister, he is survived by longtime friend Diana Robison; sisters Mary Gallen and Jean Funkhouser; and nieces and nephews.

A viewing from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, is to be followed by a second viewing from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, at St. Margaret Church, 208 N. Narberth Ave., Narberth. A Funeral Mass will be at 11 at the church. Interment is in Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken.

Donations may be made to St. Thomas More Alumni Association, Box 294, Drexel Hill, Pa. 19026, or ElderNet of Lower Merion and Narberth, 9 S. Bryn Mawr Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010.

610-313-8102