Sharon Y. White

Sharon’s Background

Sharon Y. White was born in Los Angeles, California, June 10, 1944.

Sharon Y. White was a loving daughter to Elizabeth and Bill McCurley. Sharon was an only child who grew up in Portland in the Albina area but had many families and friends who were near and dear to her heart.

Church Life

Sharon was a devout Christian who dearly loved her family and friends in Christ. She had a glowing personality and contagious smile that she was known for so much. She never met a stranger who did not applaud her wherever she went. Sharon is a former member of Hughes Memorial United Methodist Church. It was there that she learned about Jesus Christ and what it meant to follow Him and to let her light shine. Eventually, Sharon became a faithful member at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church.

It was at Mt. Olivet where she served as a small group leader, a cell group leader, and a life group leader. She also served in various capacities on prayer teams. Sharon worked in various aspects of the Sunday School departments. She also worked in the children’s ministry, and it was there that she was responsible for checking kids in. She was also a meter and a greeter as people came in. Sharon also served in other programs and volunteer groups at Mt. Olivet. She was very instrumental with Older Adults Still in Service (O.A.S.I.S.) program. This program gave Sharon the responsibility of calling senior church members once a month to make sure that their needs were met.

Sharon was also an active Bible study instructor for Bible Study Fellowship International (BSF International).

Hymns and spiritual songs were a big part of Sharon’s life. She often sang those various songs because they reminded her of growing up in the old neighborhood where families and friends were close. Two of Sharon’s favorite songs that she often sang with her sons were Do Lord, o Do Lord, O Do Remember Me and This Little Light of Mine.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Sharon was a dedicated member of Delta Sigma Theta (DST) Sorority, Inc. She began her membership with DST in 1976 when she crossed over into the statewide chapter Beta Psi. Dedication and active membership are what made her and outstanding member of the Portland Alumni Chapter. She has served in many capacities since she first joined. Most recently, she was a Sergeant of Arms where she warmly greeted members as they entered the sorority space.

Education

Sharon attended Highland Grade School and Jefferson High School. While a student at Jefferson, and she participated in many activities and organizations.

Sharon attended Portland State University and received a Bachelor of Art (B.A.) in Education and a Master of Art (M.A.) in Counseling.

Employment

When Sharon entered the work force after high school, her first job was with J.C. Penny’s on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. (Union Ave). She eventually decided to work several jobs in the process. Modeling and working as a bank teller were two of many things that she did during those days.

Eventually, Sharon found her true passion as an employee of Portland Public Schools (PPS). She discovered that she loved working with kids and teenagers from various backgrounds. She never felt that teaching was her true calling, but eventually she realized that counseling was exactly what she wanted to do.

Sharon became a counselor, and she became a trailblazer in the arena of counseling throughout her tenure at PPS. She really enjoyed counseling because she had the chance to meet the parents of the students and to determine ways of how she could help them most. Not only that, but her counseling schedule gave her time to rest and to be with her son’s as well.

The schools that Sharon worked at included, Harvey Scott Elementary (Teacher), Maplewood School, West Sylvan School (Instructional Specialist), Ockley Green (Teacher on Special Assignment —TOSA), Franklin High School (Counselor/TOSA), Sabin Elementary School (Counselor), Teen Parenting Program, Whitaker Middle School (Cluster Services Counselor), Humboldt Elementary School (Parent Outreach Coordinator).

It was through these schools that Sharon had touched many lives and impacted so many students year after year. She would often tell stories about students that she counseled when they were children and teens. She often recalled that years later they would come back to her and say, “Do you remember me, Mrs. White?” This statement alone was another reason Sharon loved counseling so much. It was the treasure of teaching and counseling young people who later grew up and remembered her years later that brought her the greatest joy and satisfaction as an educator.

Sharon was such a great believer in education that she often worked tirelessly to help her sons to get into college, stay in college, and graduate from college. This included many care packages, funds, calls, prayers, and trips to wherever they were.

Sharon made many sacrifices and shed many tears just to make sure that her sons were able to attend college. Her sacrifices and efforts had caused her sons to live a life that was well-pleasing to her.

Hobbies

It is very possible that there will not be enough time to talk about the many hobbies and things that Sharon loved to do. Some of the things that she enjoyed most were the educational processes as they applied to counseling, training, and teaching students. She was certainly an avid reader who loved learning about new things. Sharon loved listening to and watching the news, radio talk shows, health seminars, conferences of various types, and listening to speakers who taught about doing whatever it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Harmonizing was always a family favorite of hers when it pertained to singing various songs with her sons or husband. She loved to sing and talk about the “good ol’ days” that involved music of the 1950’s. Sharon also had a passion for watching old black and white Hollywood classics. Those classics included famous actors and actresses, as well as westerns. She could easily name most of the actors and actresses from those television and movie genres. Sharon would tell you that she saw just about every classic that has come across the big screen.

Let’s not forget her a great passion for travelling throughout various parts of the United States, Canada, and Alaska with family and friends. She loved to go on cruises with her Aunt Clara and Aunt Ruth. She would often mention how she enjoyed the Alaskan Cruise and various cruises to Europe and Russia with those she loved as well.

On one of her trips to England, she would often laugh and say, “I saw the White Cliffs of Dover!” She has also enjoyed various trips throughout the Caribbean and other Latin American countries such as the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

Sharon also enjoyed walking with her three sons, grandsons, and daughter-in-law. She also loved “hob-knobbing around town” and shopping with her daughter-in-law and friends to find various things to wear or just to check out some of the latest clothing available.

Family

What can be said about a woman who loved her family so very much? she was a loving mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, cousin, aunt, and friend who loved everyone so much. She had a tender-heart of compassion for her entire family. She really enjoyed spending time with all her close friends that she grew up with since grade school, high school, and college. Sharon had a compassionate and kind heart toward those who were less fortunate than her.

Sharon’s family and friends loved her so very much. She would often babysit her three grandson’s and spend a lot of time with them. Although Sharon loved her three grandsons with all her heart, babysitting was not always easy to fit into her active schedule. If there was ever someone who could make her family and friends feel loved and welcome, it was truly Sharon. Most knew her because she had a warm smile, but her family knew her because of her love and generosity that she always extended to others.

Survivors

Sharon was preceded in death by her loving parents Bill and Elizabeth McCurley; her husband, Charles Ray White. She leaves to mourn and to cherish her wonderful memories to her son’s Charles White, Marcus Christopher White, William David White; Daughter-in-law LaKesha (Kandy) White; Grandsons, Caleb White, Malachi White, and Seth White, and those who are alive and are a part of the entire White and Wilson family.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.finleysunsethills.com for the White family.