Raised in Southeast Iowa his formative years were spent farming near Burlington, Iowa during the Great Depression and included moving when the government took possession of their farm to build an ammunition plant just prior to World War II. Following graduation from New London High School he enlisted in the Army in May 1945 after attempting to enter Naval flight training. His initial training for the Pacific campaign was conducted at Camp Fallon near Tyler, Texas. With the conclusion of the war he was shipped via troop transport to Europe where he joined General Patton’s Third Army. A member of the Signal Corps he was stationed near Heidelberg, Germany as part of the post war occupation force. Returning stateside he worked various odd jobs before taking advantage of the GI Bill and attending Iowa Wesleyan College where he obtained a teaching degree. He obtained a Master’s Degree from Northeast Missouri State Teacher’s College in 1960. His first teaching position was in 1951 in Agency, Iowa. He would continue teaching in Agency and Cardinal Community School District until his retirement in 1987. During that time, he influenced the lives of hundreds of students both in the classroom and on athletic fields. He primarily taught history, but also delved into the sciences and industrial arts. On the athletic fields he coached basketball, baseball, softball, and football, but his greatest endeavors were in girls track and field. His teams won numerous meet and conference titles and sent many individuals to the state meet. He also took select teams from Iowa to National track and field events around the country. He was inducted to the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Hall of Fame in 1978, recognized as Track and Field National High School Coach of the year in 1987 and was inducted into the National High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 2008. These honors were not achieved through trophies or titles, but due to his overall contributions to the growth of track and field and the coaches/athletes he mentored. In 1990 he moved to Bella Vista, Arkansas where he enjoyed working in his yard, doing crime watch, watching high school football games and minor league baseball, attending civil war re-enactments and spent 15 years as a volunteer at Pea Ridge National Military Park. He moved to San Antonio, Texas in 2017 to spend his final years with his son and daughter-in-law. He enjoyed the weather (most of the time) and could be seen walking the neighborhood, with his walker, almost every day or sitting in the front or back yard swing. He was a member of Agency United Methodist Church and Highlands United Methodist Church, the Bella Vista Historical Society, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Chief Wapello Memorial Association and the Razorback Booster Club of Northwest Arkansas.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Esther Sharp, a brother, Raymond Sharp of Santa Maria, California, a sister, Eleanor Kennedy of Bourbonnais, Illinois, and a grandson, Anthony Sharp of Sherwood, Arkansas.
He is survived by his son, Vincent Sharp, USAF Lt Col (Ret) and his wife Suzanne of San Antonio, Texas; a sister, Doris Sharp of New London, Iowa; two grandchildren, Robert Sharp and Melissa Parker; three great-grandchildren, Alexis Sharp, Cameron Sharp, and Shelby Sharp; along with multiple extended family members.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be sent to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, 1 Children’s Way, Little Rock, AR 72202; Highlands United Methodist Church, 371 Glasgow Rd, Bella Vista, AR 72715; or Agency United Methodist Church, 119 N, College St, Agency, IA 53530.
