Richard "Moose" Sharrer

Richard “Moose” Sharrer, aged 94, passed away on July 29, 2024, in Sharpsburg, Maryland. He was born at home on Trail Avenue in Frederick on February 5, 1930, and was the eldest son of Maurice J. Sharrer and Mary Kline Sharrer.

He was predeceased by his wife, Janet Foland Sharrer, who passed away on July 28, 2001, his brothers- in-laws, Ronald Foland and Larry Dickerson, and his sisters-in-laws, Sandra Sharrer and Ellen Foland. He is survived by his two daughters, Kristi Sharrer-Holland (husband, Todd) of Hillsborough, North Carolina, and Cass Hammond (husband, Ronald) of Sharpsburg, Maryland, with whom he lived during the last 5 years of his life. He is also survived by his brother, James Sharrer, of Frederick, his granddaughter, Emily Holland of Frederick, his grandson, Benjamin Holland, of Hillsborough, North Carolina, brother-in- law, Kenneth Foland, sisters-in-law, Edith Foland and Barbara Dickerson, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was a graduate of the Frederick High School Class of 1947, where he played saxophone in the Band and earned his life-long nickname “Moose”, which was bestowed upon him by a fellow classmate on the football team who said he ran like a Moose. From that point forward, most everyone, friends and family alike, called him Moose and Moose only.

Moose briefly served in the United States Air Force and in 1952 when his father became ill, he was granted a hardship discharge to return home to Frederick to help run the family fuel-oil business. Moose later purchased the fuel oil business from his father and ran it on his own for over 30 years, retiring in 1993. His daughters have fond memories of riding with him in the unairconditioned oil truck on hot summer days to get ice cream at Feaga’s store and to visit the Wilcom Farm in Monrovia to play with the farm kids and pet the cows. After retiring,  Moose lovingly took over day care duties for his grandchildren, and developed a special bond with his grandson, Ben.

Moose enjoyed hunting and fishing and for over 40 years was a champion competitive skeet and trapshooter, having won numerous Frederick County Skeet and Maryland State Trapshooting titles and having been selected to the All-American Senior Veteran Team of the Amateur Trapshooting Association in 2003, 2005 and 2006. He was particularly known for his prowess in doubles shooting with an 870 pump gun. Moose was a Life Member of the Amateur Trapshooting Association and served as President of the Maryland State Trapshooting Association in 1973 and was also a Life Member of Tuscarora Gun Club, having served as its President, as well. In 2005, he was inducted into the Alvin G. Quinn Frederick County Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his trapshooting accomplishments. Moose passed on his love and skill for trapshooting to his daughter, Cass, who has been a championship trapshooter in her own right for many years.

The family wishes to thank his healthcare providers, Dr. Hemen Shah and Randie McLaughlin, CRNP, who provided exceptional care for Moose’s health challenges that came in later years, and to also thank the loving and dedicated caregivers who came into Cassie and Ronnie’s home during Moose’s stay there: Rayna, Leslie, Carol and Cheryl. We feel so blessed to have had Moose at home with us during his final years and to have spent quality time with him before he left to shoot clay targets in the sky. We just hope that the sky is clear-blue, and the breeze is mild.

Donations may be made in Moose’s memory to Tuscarora Gun Club, P.O. Box 61, Tuscarora, Maryland 21790.

The family will receive friends from 3pm to 7pm, on Friday, August 2, 2024 at the Keeney and Basford Funeral Home, 106 E. Church Street, Frederick.  The funeral and interment will be private.