Sharon L. Baum

Sharon Lee Baum (Horton) passed away peacefully on November 28, 2021 in Fairfax, Virginia, surrounded by the love of her family and friends. Often described as beautiful, loving, classy, and fun, Sharon was an irreplaceable force and will be dearly missed.

Born on December 16, 1946 in Washington, D.C., Sharon grew up in Springfield with her parents, Charles and Betsy Horton, and her five siblings. Sharon attended Lee High School, where she met her lifelong friend, Terry Walters, and the future love of her life, William “Bill” E. Baum, Sr.

After a brief stint as a beauty queen and a secretary on Capitol Hill, Sharon traveled the world as a flight attendant for Pan American World Airways. While flying soldiers into war-torn Vietnam, Bill and Sharon’s paths crossed again. This serendipitous love story picked up a few months later in San Francisco, CA, before the couple were married in 1972 and moved to Herndon, VA.

Upon moving to Herndon, Brenda Adams and Angela Stafford joined Terry and Sharon to form the inseparable quartet known as the “WABS Moms.” Fulfilling her dream to start a family, Sharon had three children, William “Will” E. Baum, Jr., John “Casey” C. Baum, and Carolyn H. Blasinsky (Baum). Sharon dedicated her following years to creating a happy childhood and family life to Will, Casey, and Carolyn, full of travel, family, friends, and laughs. After returning to work with Piedmont Airlines, United Airlines, and the Fairfax County School system, Sharon pursued her undergraduate degree at Marymount University and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2002 with a degree in English.

With the births of her six grandchildren, Sharon joyfully transitioned into her role as a dotting grandmother who loved to dance, sing, play, and cook. A lifelong lover of art, Sharon completed the rigorous docent training program at the National Gallery of Art and delighted in giving tours of the gallery, particularly to school children.

Sharon had a great love, loving children, and unbreakable friendships. She had a great life.

Sharon was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Betsy, her sister Glanvel “Pinkie” Pomeroy, Bill’s parents, John and Lois Baum, and WABS family member, Paul Adams. Sharon is survived by her devoted husband, Bill, her son Will (wife Heather, children Lucinda and Emmaline), her son Casey (wife Kristen, children Avery and Clara), her daughter Carolyn (husband Michael, children Josephine and Michael William “Liam”), her siblings Shirley Skirkanich (Betty), Helen Matthews (Gary), Jeffrey “Larry” Horton (Barbie) and Vera “Lynne” Horton (Maria), her sister-in-law Katherine Haviland (Jack), her nine adored nieces and nephews, her Hawthorne family, her best friends of over 45 years, Terry and Charlie Walters, Brenda Adams, Angela and Michael Stafford, and her WABS family.

A celebration of life will be held at 1:30 pm on December 6, 2021 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA.

Emmanuel Episcopal Church: 1608 Russell Rd, Alexandria, VA 22301

A reception at 3:00 pm will follow in Fairfax, VA.

Anyone wishing to honor Sharon can make a contribution to:

www.clarainspired.org