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Wlaf1450LaHoma “June” Sharp, 94, formerly of LaFollette and Caryville, passed peacefully on April 15, 2023 in Tucson, Arizona and has returned to her beloved “home” to rest eternally beside her husband and family.
Born August 20, 1928 in the coal mining camp of Straight Creek, KY, June was the first child of William “Bill”& Tommie Gambrel Sharp, and spent her early life with her three brothers Will, Shirl, and Hobart, growing up in several coal camps in eastern KY, most notably Insull. At age 9, June was saved at a Baptist tent revival near Pineville, KY; she was baptized in a local creek andlived her life as a committed Christian. When she was 13, June moved with her family to LaFollette, where her paternal grandfather, Dr. Jacob Sevier Sharp, was a local doctor. Coming down the mountain, arriving in LaFollette when the town was decorated for
Christmas, Junedeclared it the “most beautiful town I ever saw”, and considered it “home” for the rest of her life.
June attended LaFollette High School, leaving at the end of her junior year to work as a cashier at the White Store and then at Woodson’s, where she worked for “Pop and Bobby Woodson” until her marriage four years later to L.D. Sharp of Caryville. Although she would never have left the LaFollette area if it had been her choice, June found herself moving back and forth between “down home” and cities in Ohio & Michigan in her husband’s search for reliable employment. Although the first and the last of her 5 children were born “up north”, she managed to have the middle three at the LaFollette Hospital.The family finally settled in Norwood, OH, where LD worked at the GM factory. June was devoted to her husband and children and proud to be a homemaker; she was a loving wife and mother. “Grandma June” was the glue of the family, and was beloved by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews. She was a moral and spiritual leader, and a caregiver for many family members throughout her life. Although they had hoped to retire to the LaFollette-Caryville area, June and her husband ended up joining her only remaining family member, youngest brother Hobart Sharp, in Tucson, AZ. After losing L.D., June lived with Hobart, providing support and caregiving for each other until Hobart’s passing in 2021.
June was preceded in death by grandfather Dr. Jacob Sevier Sharp of LaFollette, grandmother Lucy Jackson Gambrel of Straight Creek, Ky, father William “Bill” Sharp, mother Tommie Cecil Gambrel Sharp, brothers Will Sharp of Jacksboro, Shirl (Hank) and Hobart Sharpof Tucson, AZ, husband L.D. Sharp, son Larry D. Sharp, daughters Janet E. Madera and LaHoma Lynn Sharp, father & mother-in-law Lee & Bessie Sharp of Caryville, sisters-in law Wilma, Elizabeth, Hazel, Magdalene, Naomi, and Betty Sue Sharp, brothers-in-law Virgil, Howard, Dana, Roscoe, Edwin, and Tommy Sharp, and nephew David Sharp.
She leaves behind her son Ronald (Janet) Sharp of Nashville, daughter Tommie Miller &nieceRayna (Rick)Kruszewski of Tucson,AZ, nephew Derek Sharp of Clinton, daughter-in-law Elizabeth Sharp (George) Van Buren of New Jersey, son-in-law Jose Madera of Puerto Rico, 8 grandchildren Carmen Madera (Jesse) Whitfield of Cincinnati, OH, Margie (Wayne) White & Rachel (David) Upshaw of Nashville, Robert Sharp of Mobile, AL, Jeannette (Anthony) Henry of Hanceville, AL, Jose Antonio (Nichole) Madera of Chicago, Zekeyla (Michael) O’Dowd-Williams of Sheboygan, WI, and Nicolas Madera of Puerto Rico, 3 grandnieces Alyssa (Armando) Sandoval, Amanda Sharp Wilson, and Anastasia “Sam” Sharp, and 3 grandnephews Matthew Kruszewski, Michael & Jax Sharp. She also leaves behind 14 beloved great-grandchildren: Ali O’Malley, Cheyenne Sharp, Jackson & Jacob White, Kaylee, Arabella & Michael Albert O’Dowd-Williams, Mia Henry, Ella June & Lucas David Upshaw, and Cole, Coby, Cali & Coen Madera, and two great-grandnieces Sophia & Alaya Sandoval, and great-grandnephew Aiden Wilson.
The family would like to thank Amy & Desiree of Oshyn Home Hospice in Tucson, AZ and private caregiver Chandra for theirkind & compassionate care & support for the last few years of June’s life.
Family will receive friends from 11:00am- 1:00pm on Saturday, April 22, 2023 at Cross-Smith Funeral Home with funeral services to follow at 1:00 pm at Cross-Smith Chapel. Interment following services at Campbell Memorial Gardens.
Online condolences can be left at www.cross-smithfh.com.
Arrangements by Cross-Smith Funeral Home