James Burruss Sharpe

March 3, 1948 - June 3, 2025

James Burruss Sharpe (Jim) passed on from this life on June 3, 2025 at the age of 77 following a courageous battle with ALS, having lived most of his adult life with Multiple Sclerosis. He was a wonderfully loving husband and father survived by his wife Rosanne (Ro) of 53 years, brother Dr. John Sharpe and three children: James Jr (Ashley), Aimee Sharpe Drewry (Seth) and Andrew (Kristen). Jim cherished his role as grandpa to eight grandchildren - Riley, Declan, Owen, Edward, Griffin, Landon, August and Sophie.

Jim was a kind, dependable and authentic soul who was forever proud of his children, their spouses and grandchildren. A loyal friend, Jim cherished close, lifelong friendships that he developed during each phase of his life. Jim led with his sense of humor, always finding a way to offer a patented saying or one-liner, and was an avid storyteller, sharing anecdotes that he had acquired from family, friends, neighbors and co-workers.

He was a military history buff with a love for aviation that started in childhood. Jim learned to fly airplanes at age 14 and boasted that he would have been cleared to fly solo if the authorities had not set the age requirement at 17. He took this love of horsepower and speed to the open road and on the water, riding motorcycles, racing his Pontiac GTO and skiing behind his Grady White boat on Virginia's lakes and rivers. Jim's favorite hobby was building and flying radio-controlled model airplanes at local flying fields with fellow enthusiasts who would become some of his closest friends. He was an early adopter of technology, showcasing the latest in audio surround sound to houseguests at ear-piercing volumes. Later in life, Jim was a frequent consumer and debater of political news, as long as it came from Fox.

Raised in Richmond, VA, Jim graduated from Virginia Tech and George Washington University with an MBA and a Master's Degree in Political Science. After college, Jim and Ro moved to Northern Virginia, where he spent his career in the United States defense industry, beginning in contracting and procurement for the Department of Navy's Strategic Systems Project Office. In this role he was responsible for the design, development and deployment of the Polaris, Poseidon, and Trident 1 Fleet ballistic missiles, for which he received a Navy Unit Commendation Medal.

He subsequently transferred to the private sector and held positions as a Head of Contracts and Procurement at BDM international, TRW and Northrop Grumman. Jim retired from Northrop Grumman in 2009, relocating with Ro to The Villages, Florida in 2010. In their retirement, Jim and Ro traveled the world extensively with good friends and neighbors and he was active in the community alongside Ro at several social, sports and charitable clubs and organizations.

In Jim's final days, he maintained his good spirit as he said goodbye to friends and family. He kept his wit, humor and love for storytelling until the very end. A private Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the ALS Association at www.als.org.