CCBR Business Review

14 O B I T U A R I E S Ken Wilson – Entrepreneur and real estate agent Ronald (Ron) Sharpe OAM – Civil engineer 15th August 1942 – 27 June 2021 Well known Central Coast businessman Ken Wilson passed away on 27th June 2021, aged 79 years after a long illness. He has been fondly remembered not only for his business skills but also for his love of sport and in particular golf. Ken was born in Cronulla in Sydney and went to Sutherland High School. While still at school he earned pocket money by selling newspapers to workers 27th June 1950 – 26th June 2021 Ronald Douglas Sharpe was born in Sydney on 27th June 1950 at a time when his parents, Doug and Merle Sharpe, were just starting out in the building business in Boggabri near Gunnedah. The family moved to Umina when he was nine years old and he attended Umina Primary School and subsequently Woy Woy High School. On leaving school he started work with his father as an apprentice carpen- ter becoming a licensed builder and also licensed mechanic. at the Kurnell oil Refinery where he devel- oped a remarkable memory, knowing all his customers and their preferred paper. These skills would stand him in good stead in his later life. One of his first jobs was as a systems analysis at IBM subsequently moving to their new electric typewriter sales division where he sold his year’s sales quota in the first three months and regularly exceeded his sales targets. He married Maree in 1970 and the family subsequently moved to the Central Coast in 1976 building and operating the Long Jetty Squash Courts. This venture was followed by a bike shop which he and Maree started and then the Erina Indoor Cricket Centre. When the Bay Village Shopping Centre at Bateau Bay was built in 1985 he and Maree were among the first to set up business in the Centre with Rumours Coffee Shop. He then moved into real estate and joined the fast growing George Brand Real Estate business headed up by General Manager Peter Elliot who gave him a job where he became Manager of their Toukley office He met his wife Carol in 1966 and they married three years later. The Sharpe building business contin- ued to grow and on one of his last pro- jects building a chemist shop in Umina they needed to complete the carpark, which they did and which saw the start of a new venture – Sharpe Bros. Civil Contractors and Asphalt Specialists. The booming 1980’s saw the busi- ness expand into road maintenance and repairs as infrastructure was built across regional parts of the State. Works included bitumen sealing between con- crete layers on the new F3 freeway and the approaches to the Mooney Mooney Bridge and, in the late 1990’s included asphalt paving of roads and footpaths across the Sydney CBD and repairs to the Sydney Harbour Bridge deck in the lead up to the Sydney Olympics. Ron’s sons Michael, Hayden and Richard would eventually take over the business which became well known for their innovative designs and building of their own machinery making the build- ing of roads and laying of asphalt much more efficient. He was Founding Chairman of the Road Profiling Association of Australia, He and Peter Elliott would become good friends, a friendship that would last over 30 years. Subsequently, Peter Elliott decided to set up his own real estate business specialis- ing in prestige properties. “Ken was quiet, likeable and genuine. He was also a bit conservative,” said Peter Elliott. “I arranged to have a meeting with him and Maree and while he was hesitant Maree saw the opportunity and said, ‘Ken you are joining Peter”, and the rest is history really.” That was in 1988 and the real estate busi- ness would become Central Coast Prestige Properties. One of the best known and suc- cessful real estate businesses on the Central Coast. Around 2015 Ken decided it was time to retire and the family moved to Jindabyne. After being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease they moved back to the Coast. Ken died after a two year battle with this illness. He is survived by his wife of 50 years Maree Their three children Campbell, Stuart and Julia their spouses and children. which evolved to become a part of the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association. For his efforts he was recognised for his services to industry in 2009. Ron Sharpe was also very much involved in community affairs through- out his business career. He was for many years a Director of the Gosford Chamber of Commerce and was a Life Member. He was President of the Apex Club of Umina Beach for many years and was awarded a Life Membership in 1990. Over the years he worked for many charities including the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol and Salvation Army. In 2005, he was named Citizen of the Year for Gosford City in recognition of his volunteering. In 2006 he received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for service to the community through a range of service and social welfare organisations. He went on to be the Chairman of the Order of Australia Association. He died after a short illness on 26th June 2021 and is survived by his wife Carol and sons Michael, Hayden and Richard, their spouses and grandchil- dren. CENTRAL COAST BUSINESS REVIEW AUGUST 2021