Joyce Ann Sharp

Joyce Sharp went to be with her Lord and Savior on June 4th after a visit where two of her nieces, granddaughter, grandson and 3 great-grandchildren shared with her stories of the wonderful memories they had with her. She was at peace when she passed over to her heavenly home.

Joyce was born on January 1, 1935, in Pettit, Tx, the 7th and last child born to Oran and Frances Lavada Stevenson Mauldin. Oran worked for the post office and drove the school bus. His parents were teachers at the only school in Pettit. The Mauldins moved to an abandoned red brick schoolhouse in Lubbock. Joyce graduated from Lubbock High School in 1953. She worked for International Harvester where she met Russell Sharp, a mechanic from Ohio. They were married in Las Vegas in 1959. Shortly afterwards they moved to Littlefield, Austin, and Midland where she was a stay-at-home mom, hosting jewelry parties for Sarah Coventry. Her father introduced her to his friend James Avery of Kerrville, and she began selling Mr. Avery’s jewelry to people that had never heard of him. There were several more moves before they settled in Katy, Tx where they lived for 29 years. Joyce worked as the assistant to the administrator at Katy ISD. There she made many friends for life. She was a member of Memorial Lutheran Church in Katy and then started attending Houston’s First Baptist Church, where she met Nita Quaid. Dennis Quaid invited Joyce to the movie set in Austin for the filming of “The Alamo”. There she met “a really nice guy” named Billy Bob Thornton.

Joyce and Russ joined a square-dancing group in Houston. They were members of The Exhibition Group for the City of Houston and Joyce served as the District Director for The Houston Round and Square Dance Council. They attended every square-dance event possible. Russ passed away in 1992 and Joyce continued to work for Katy ISD until she retired and moved back to Lubbock to be close to her family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, former husbands Clarence (Busty) Lang and Russell Sharp, her brothers Oscar, Robert and Gilbert Mauldin, and her sisters Ruby Moore, Mary Lawler, and Janet Ross.

She is survived by her daughter Toni Lang of Lubbock, TX; son Robert (Rusty) Sharp and wife Leah of Torrance, CA; granddaughter Courtney Lang Foster and husband Brady of Kerrville, Tx; granddaughter Rowan Sharp Schnalzer and husband Ryan of Albuquerque, NM; and great-grandchildren Hayden, Rylan and Darby Foster; and great-granddaughters Willow and Wren Schnalzer; and many nieces and nephews, all of whom will miss her dearly.

She will be laid to rest next to parents and grandparents at Resthaven Memorial Park in Lubbock, Tx on Saturday, June 17 at 1pm. Family and close friends are invited to meet at the reception area at noon that day.

Joyce was an active member of the John Birch Society and was dedicated to sending money to Wycliff Bible Translators and many organizations supporting the Jews such as The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to a charity of your choice.