Sharon Gillis Thrash

Sharon graduated from Picayune High School and had a degree in Executive Secretarial Studies from University of Southern Mississippi. There she met and later married James W. Thrash in June 1971; together they shared nearly 50 years of marriage and two beautiful daughters. Sharon worked as a paralegal for Bellan, Langdon, Helmick, and Harris in Des Moines and for the municipal consulting firm of Simmering-Cory in Clear Lake, Iowa. She retired last August.

Sharon loved words, quickly completing the New York Times crossword puzzle every day, and feeding people well. This passion led her to found the Celebration Circle at Germantown United Methodist Church, leading the women of the church in monthly luncheons with speakers and drawing large crowds to experience joy and fellowship together. She served as editor and tester of the Germantown United Methodist Women’s cookbook, Be Present at Our Table. Sharon also enjoyed painting and calligraphy and cherished clever turns of phrase which she incorporated into two collections, “A Cache of Quotes” and “On Second Thought.”

Sharon cared deeply for others and believed in helping people in ways that never created burdens to those who needed help. She expressed her care and love through detailed planning, which allowed everyone around her to relax and enjoy working with one another. For several years, she coordinated the Maundy Thursday Seder Meal, ensuring that the Hebrew was accurate and the recipes authentic.

Sharon was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, cooking Sunday dinners every week for the whole family. For the last ten years, she led a family and friends book club, reading and discussing a book each month. Sharon and Jim have delighted in their grandson, Ian, since his birth in 2014. She was preceded in death by her parents and survived by her sister, Sheila Wagner, husband Jim, daughters Mary (Steven) Short and Emily Thrash, and grandson Ian Short.

The family will have a private memorial and a celebration of life ceremony at a later time.

If you wish to honor Sharon’s memory, please donate to Church Health Center or the Mid-South Food Bank.