Haywood B. Sharpley, 72, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, beloved father and grandfather, made his transition with his loving daughter by his side, on February 22, 2015. He was predeceased by his mother and father, Ethel and Lincoln Sharpley and by his brothers Wade and Marvin Sharpley.
Haywood was born in Hartselle, Alabama on April 26, 1942; but his family moved to Detroit in 1953 where he lived most of his life. He attended Wayne State University and received a BA degree in Recreational Leadership. He also joined the fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi and was on the 1964 Varsity Football Team. Haywood worked as a Labor Relations Executive for General Motors in Detroit and was a dedicated and loyal employee until his retirement in 2002.
Besides his daughter Yvette Sharpley of West Bloomfield, Michigan and ex-wife, Joan Kincannon of Detroit, Michigan; Haywood is also survived by his son Aidoo Osei of San Diego, California; a daughter-in-law, Jaquetta Osei, also of San Diego, California; his grandchildren, Brittany and Brianna Sharpley, of West Bloomfield, Michigan; Leah and Xavier Osei, of San Diego, California; two nieces, Cheryl Sharpley, of Detroit, Michigan and Marie Sharpley of Los Angeles, California; a nephew, Mark Sharpley and a sister-in-law, Nora Sharpley, of Troy, Michigan; as well as numerous cousins and other relatives and friends.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to Botsford Hospice. Their dedication and effort to provide quality care over the last four months have been a heartwarming blessing to the family. We thank God for the gift of his life and the blessing of the time we had with him. "If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together...there is something you must always remember, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart...I'll always be with you.” Even though this quote comes from Winnie the Pooh...these are the words Haywood whispers to his babies from up above.
During the last month of my 8th grade year, my grandpa Woody wrote me a letter. A letter congratulating me for my sucesses and giving me advice for the future. In the letter was the famous "Don't Quit" poem by Edgar Guest. This poem will stay with me all the days of my life.
Don't Quit Poem
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, When he might have won had he stuck it out; Don't give up though the pace seems slow-- You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than, It seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up, When he might have captured the victor's cup, And he learned too late when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out-- The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far, So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-- It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
My grandpa was a very musical man. He loved to come up with little musical dittys to entertain us and keep us in laughter. His ditty for me was "Old Lady Britt, Old Lady Britt, found her a nickel and thought she was rich"!
