Sharon R. Marshall

Sharon Elaine Rogers was born on October 18, 1949, to Rev. Forrest Samuel and Louise Rogers in Dothan, Alabama. She was gifted with a large and caring family, the eighth child of 12, and they all grew up in Dalton, Georgia. A woman of profound and abiding faith, she accepted Christ at an early age. Sharon graduated from Dalton High School in 1969 and received a degree in business administration from Atlanta Area Technical College.

On November 13, 1971, Sharon married her loving and devoted partner of 52 years, Rev. Gordon L. Marshall, whom she met in Atlanta, Georgia, while both worked at Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University). They were married by the late and highly revered civil rights leader, Rev. Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery. Their union produced four sons: Kimani A. (Alba), Cleveland, TN; Toure C. (Eustacia), Philadelphia, PA; Che G. (Mia), Atlanta, GA; and Kamau M. Marshall, Washington, DC. Her chosen daughters of the heart were Imani A. Coleman, Charlotte, NC; Asha M. Marshall, Albany, GA; and Victoria (Vickie) Burgess, Las Vegas, NV. Marriage to a newly minted Presbyterian minister meant embracing a broad social, cultural, and geographical landscape as a first lady in Cleveland, OH, Chicago, IL, Baltimore, MD, Pittsburgh, PA, Birmingham, AL, Columbus, GA and Henderson, NC.

Sharon Marshall, the observer’s observer and the teacher’s teacher, worked in a rich array of business administration positions. Still, educational administration was indeed her true calling, with its opportunities to shape and reshape the lives of the young. While in Columbus, she once worked at Marshall Middle School with a principal named Marshall, as only one example of the magic and whimsy that only her life could conjure. A highly knowledgeable and expert administrator, Sharon was equally at home as a dedicated and creative homemaker with a natural penchant for interior decorating. This richly lived experience further expanded Sharon’s natural joy for life, given the ease with which she made and lovingly maintained family and life-long friends in a broad but deeply inclusive network where she mothered an array of young people (and many old), providing wisdom, humor and always the real truth of the matter.

This was Sharon, the adored nanny-granny, ready arms outstretched to hold the future, the new generation of grandchildren, grandnieces, and nephews—weaving bright, strong, expansive familial bonds that will last forever. Sharon taught us what real family must look like and how it must always be centered in love, patience, forgiveness, and genuine and constant caring. She regaled family, friends, and strangers as a quintessential storyteller with her unique observations and creativity. Her deepest interests and hobbies were spending quality time with friends and family, humorous voice-overs, collecting and singing classic old-school R&B music and gospel, train travel, interior design, decorating, and always storytelling. She dearly loved and celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and bingo. She was a member of The Daisy Flower Club in Henderson, NC, and a deacon in the Presbyterian church. The penultimate joy of her life was loving on her grandchildren: Deonte Lindsey, Rashad K., Jeremiah T., Jessica M., and Sol Che Marshall.

On Tuesday, February 27, in the early hush of morning just before dawn, Sharon slipped easily into eternity, holding her beloved Gordon’s hand. Her celebration of life will be held Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Greater Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 3000 12th Avenue, Columbus, Georgia, with Family Visitation at 11:00 AM ET and Celebration of Life at 12:00 PM ET.