Sharon Miller came to the Wids in 2008 with her daughter Rosie who wanted to play for the Under 7s. Rosie is now the steadying influence behind the club bar in understandably difficult circumstances. A full obituary of Sharon would stretch to a biography of achievements – Wids Junior Rugby Chair, Lancashire RFU Volunteer of the Year and Widnes RUFC Vice President are simply titles that don’t adequately describe the work and enthusiasm that she put into our club. The photo shows President Charlie Morris awarding her the Club Person of the Year Trophy in 2016.
Originally, her main involvement was support and development of junior and Colts rugby, doing paperwork that was beyond the understanding and capability of most. Post-Covid, clubhouse matters took on more of her time. The DIY men could be assured that a list of tasks was available every Tuesday morning. Weekends would see her taking dyslexic dog owners to task and questioning whether parents had ever provided their children with any concept of soap and water.
Proud of her West Bank roots, St Patricks to be precise, Sharon was the co-owner of Boydells, reputedly the oldest business in Widnes, and maintained a proud reputation for reliable supply of sports kits and school uniform.
She was an uncomplaining participant in local Heritage projects. In the Widnes RUFC film “Gone With the Wids”, she described the present and somewhat racy past of Boydells shop. For the Halton Heritage Partnership “Working Lives” oral history, she revealed that she had been recruited by the Karalius family as the town’s first female door steward. She appeared on BBC Radio Merseyside as a contributor to their “Kit For All” campaign.
Expected to become the Wids first female President in a few seasons time and a school governor at St Gerards, Sharon will be a difficult, if not impossible, figure to replace. RIP