Linda Williams Sharon

As her father reminded her each year, it rained, hailed, and snowed the day she was born. That seemed fitting for the beautiful spiritual windstorm of loving kindness into whom God was breathing the breath of life that day.

She spent her early childhood years on the west Texas cotton farms that Milton worked. One of her early childhood memories was of her mother having her drive their pickup truck out to the field with her dad’s lunch when she was a young girl. She was always extremely responsible and trustworthy. While attending Sudan High School, she taught VBS to the younger children at church and in her senior year was the honorary counselor to the younger classmen. She also worked at the Sudan Beacon News and hoeing the local cotton fields to make money for her cheerleading outfits. She attended the University of Texas where she met Michael Sherman whom she married. She completed her degree at the University of Houston where they moved after Michael graduated. Linda bore Stephanie while completing her degree there. They later divorced and she was remarried to Tom Sharon and embraced his daughter, Kimberly, as her own. Linda taught history, political science, and economics for 26 years in the Pasadena Independent School District. She was active in politics and fiercely defended the rights and dignity of others. She was elected President of Texas State Teachers’ Association, Region 4, but stepped down from the post after her divorce in the ‘70s to devote more time to Stephanie.

Linda was a coach on the Academic Decathlon Team at Dobie High School. They won two national championships which were awarded by two different presidents at the White House. She was also a seamstress, pianist, and certified fitness instructor. She taught aerobics for many years and was discrete about the fact that she usually beat Tom in tennis, which is why he preferred to play racquetball with her so he had an even chance of winning.

Linda was also active in church and was ordained as both a Deacon and Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA). After retiring from teaching, Linda completed her Master of Divinity followed by two years of Clinical Pastoral Education at Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. She was ordained as Minister of Word and Sacrament and received her national accreditation as a Board-Certified Chaplain. She worked 8-years as a hospital chaplain at Houston Methodist Hospital.

Linda loved to travel and visited Italy, Greece, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, England, Spain, Singapore, Hong Kong, Argentina, Mexico, and lived with Tom as an expat in Brazil. She also traveled through much of the USA. She loved to hike and kayak and traveled many times to Hawaii. She often said her favorite place on earth was the garden island of Kauai.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents, Milton and Ruth Williams.

She is survived by her husband, Tom; daughter Stephanie O’Dowd and husband, Jonathan; daughter, Kimberly Moore and husband, Joe; and grandchildren Brooke and husband Michael, Luke and wife Kayla, Raegan, and Elliot; her sister Joyce Hill and husband Ronnie; and 11 nieces and nephews.