Sharon A Gappelberg

Sharon was born in El Paso, Texas on July 10, 1954, and passed away early in the night of January 19, 2025. She valiantly fought and survived numerous life-threatening illnesses until her frail body could not withstand another. She leaves behind her husband of forty-six (46) years, Rodney Gappelberg, daughter Molly Durbin, son-in-law Joel Durbin, daughter Allison Leija, son-in-law Christopher Leija and her beloved and most cherished grandchildren, Micah Durbin, Jonah Durbin and Gabriel Leija, brothers Michael Saks and Ronald Saks, sister Deborah Marlin, sister-in-law Pamela Saks, niece Tory Saks, nephew Joseph Saks and many other nephews, nieces and cousins, among other cherished family and very close life-long friends.

Sharon was an honors graduate of Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas in 1972, and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the School of Communication at the University of Teas at Austin in 1976. She specialized in educating the hearing impaired. She taught hearing impaired students first in the Waco Independent School District, then many heartfelt years in the Dallas Independent School District at Alex Spence, then Sudie Williams where she met and formed life-long friendships with many of her fellow educators. She finished her career among a wonderful and loving community of educators at Temple Emanu-El Early Childhood Education Center, all while battling serious illness. Throughout her career, she mentored and taught several young teachers.

Sharon’s greatest joy was devoting herself to her children and grandchildren. Always on the side of the disadvantaged or less fortunate, despite her diminutive stature, she strove to bring goodness and order and understanding to an often-unsettled world and the people with whom she interacted and touched. She was a gentle, loving, compassionate and unassuming soul who did her utmost to serve both her family and many, many children.