Sharen Elizabeth Kortas age 72 of Hudson, WI, loving wife and mother, passed away on Thursday, May 20, 2021 dying peacefully in her home after a courageous battle with cancer.
Sharen was born July 31, 1948 in Staten Island, NY to Edgar and Jean Hutchinson (Whigham). On November 9, 1968 she married Thomas George Kortas and together they raised one son, Michael James.
Sharen was a well-respected real estate agent and leader in the local real estate community. She had a passion for real estate and played an instrumental part in the establishment of the Keller Williams market centers in Hudson and Eau Claire. Sharen spent over 25 years helping families find homes, and these families loved her like no other.
Sharen also loved cruising the Caribbean with her husband Tom, visiting the islands every year (St. Thomas was her favorite island). Sharen’s traveling adventures began early in childhood, as her father Ed was in the Coast Guard and was stationed in such cities as Cape May, NJ, St. Petersburg, FL, Ketchikan, AK, Seattle, WA, and Cleveland, OH.
However, it was her dad’s transfer to Two Rivers, WI that would be the most memorable – that is where she met her future husband, Tom! Together Tom and Sharen would raise their “proud baby boy” Michael. Sharen was always part of his sporting activities while he was growing up, including coaching Mike’s youth soccer teams and being a placeholder when Mike would practice kicking field goals in high school.
Sharen was preceded in death by her father Edgar, and her mother Jean. She is survived by Thomas, her husband and best friend of 52 years, her son Michael and his lifetime companion Melanie Dalum, her sister Sandy Racz, brother-in-laws Rob Racz, John Kortas, Bill Kortas, sister-in-laws Kay Smet (Kortas), Linda Kortas, Janey Kortas, and several nieces and nephews.
A visitation will be held Wednesday, June 2 at O’Connell Family Funeral Homes and Cremation Services in Hudson, WI from 4:00pm- 7:00pm. Interment will be Thursday, June 3 at Calvary Cemetery in Manitowoc, WI at 3:00pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Cancer Society.
