Shari Kay Brush, 69, died from cancer on April 19, 2023, in Lawrence, Kansas. Shari was born on July 20, 1953, in Appleton, Wisconsin, to Clifton A. Kunde and Isla Mae (Becker) Kunde. When she was an infant, the family moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where she and her sister Kathleen had an idyllic childhood.
Shari attended Stout State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For most of her adult life, she worked in retail management. She was married to and divorced from Timothy Liebmann and Edward Brush. Shari’s sons were born in Oakley, California. Edward Clifton Brush was born on November 29, 1984, and died on November 30, 1984. Daniel Ryne Brush was born on September 14, 1989. Shortly after Danny was born, the family moved to Twin Lakes, Wisconsin.
Shari was a stay at home mom until Danny started school. When she returned to work, she combined her management skills and her passion for gardening. She ran a garden center in Twin Lakes until 2009 when she and Danny moved to Madison to take care of her parents. Shari and Danny were devoted to each other. They met the joys and challenges of life as a team until Danny died suddenly of natural causes on July 9, 2011. After Danny and her parents passed, Shari remained in Madison until 2021 when she moved to Lawrence, Kansas, to be near Kathleen and her family.
In addition to her sons and her parents, Shari was preceded in death by her nephew Benjamin Kunde Levy, friend and cousin Susan Heimlich, and special pets Dickins, Kipson, and Birdie. She is survived by her sister Kathleen Kunde Levy, brother-in-law Richard Levy, niece Erin Kunde Levy, her beloved cats Mew and Gracie, and many cousins and friends.
In the face of much loss during her life, Shari demonstrated great perseverance and resilience. She treated everyone with respect and loving kindness. She took care of all those around her—Danny, her parents, her friends and family, customers and co-workers, all animals who crossed her path, thousands of plants. She was a positive presence in the world every day.
May her memory be for a blessing.
Shari was a blessing to me. We performed together with Madison Dance Theatre run by her sister, Kathe. Hi Kathe. I remember those years in the late seventies fondly as I realized much dance success with excellent instruction from Kathe and pure kindness from Shari. Our performance costumes were created by Shari, some of which I still have, from when the company sadly disbanded. These memories I hold dear. Love, Danette.