Sharon Rosenblum papers

Sharon Rosenblum (June 10, 1950-March 10, 2019) was a Rochester area professional, business woman, gardener, softball player, and member of the local lesbian community. Rosenblum was born in Escambia County, Florida and raised in Bethpage. Documents suggest Rosenblum was a proud childhood cancer survivor and overcame multiple illnesses during her life. She attended local schools, including Bethpage High School. She graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. While at SUNY Cortland, Rosenblum was a member of the Theta Phi Alpha sorority. She returned to higher education multiple times, earning a Master of Public Administration from the State University of New York College at Brockport in 1982 and enrolling in graduate classes in marketing and statistics at Rochester Institute of Technology from 1996-1997. She also held a Master Gardener Certification from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County, starting in 1996.

Her professional career was largely spent at the Monroe County Office for the Aging, where she worked in senior citizen recreation from 1978-1993. Rosenblum went on to hold positions in recreation at the Town of Greece Department of Human Services, operations at Research-Resource, and program coordination at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County. Rosenblum was also a small business owner, operating Rose in Bloom Farm starting in 2006-2007.

Rosenblum was an avid Master Gardener, regularly authoring articles for local publications and attending and conducting seminars and workshops. Rosenblum also dedicated her time to photography, pottery, and hosting annual Halloween parties. Rosenblum was an active athlete, participating in softball leagues between 1974 and 1980, largely on teams of LGBTQ athletes. Sharon was involved in the local LGBTQ community, as documented in the Empty Closet, a local LGBTQ serial publication.