Sharon Lorene Engelmeyer

Born on May 17, 1952, to the late Raymond and Lorene Knaus, Sharon was born and raised in the Oakville neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. From the very beginning, she brought an abundance of warmth, kindness, and joy into the world. She shared a lifelong, special bond with her twin brother, Doug Knaus (his late wife Dana and her beloved niece, Megan Knaus), and her older brother, Larry Knaus (wife Nancy). These early relationships shaped Sharon’s gentle heart and a generous, fun-loving spirit.

Before dedicating her life to raising her family, Sharon worked at Southwestern Bell Telephone. It was there, during a safety class, that she met her future husband and love of her life, Gerald Engelmeyer. Sharon’s greatest joy and proudest achievement was the family they built together. She was a deeply devoted spouse to Gerald, with whom she shared 49 years of marriage, and a fiercely loving, devoted wonderful mother to her children. Her legacy of love lives on through her three children: her son, Geoffrey Engelmeyer, and his spouse Meredith; her daughter, Natalie Engelmeyer; and her daughter Valerie Engelmeyer.

Sharon’s heart grew even larger when she became a grandmother – Memaw. She absolutely adored her four grandsons – Nolen, Graham, Ryder, and Bennett Engelmeyer-who brought smiles, laughter, and happiness to her life. Sharon also had a deep affection for animals and dearly loved their current family dog, Star, as well as their prior dogs, Daisy, and Muffy.

Sharon had a rare gift for making people feel special, loved, and welcomed; she would brighten a room with her beautiful big smile. Guided by her generous heart, she spent a season volunteering at Grace Church, where she joyfully served children with special needs. Her desire to care for others also led her on a mission trip in 2004 to Reynosa, Mexico, where she dedicated her time to serving young children there.

She poured her energy and creativity into life, whether she was working out to stay fit, cooking delicious, homemade meals for her family, or going to live concerts with a lifelong love for rock music. She also had a passion for fast cars, taking great pride in driving her Firebird, Monte Carlo and GTO. Sharon loved going out to dinner to celebrate special occasions, where she could always be counted on to order a seafood feast or mushroom swiss burger. She also had a passion for all kinds of shopping, driven by her pleasure in finding the perfect item for those she loved. She was a remarkably thoughtful gift giver who delighted in making others feel special.

She also took joy in finding the perfect greeting card to make someone feel special on their birthday, Christmas, or just to brighten their day. Sharon would often include long handwritten letters inside them in her perfect cursive, ensuring the recipient felt deeply valued and loved.

Later in life, Sharon enjoyed watching movies, as well as all kinds of sports – a favorite pastime she loved sharing with her family as they spent time together.

Her true passion, however was found right outside her door where she would spend countless hours gardening, sometimes morning to night. Sharon loved working outside with meticulous detail, transforming the spaces around her home into a beautiful sanctuary where her flower gardens could flourish. Her presence brought that same life and color to everyone who knew and loved her.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations in Sharon’s honor to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.

A Celebration of Sharon’s beautiful life will be held at a later date; please check back for updated information.