My older sister, Sharon, and I were some 20 months apart in age, but we were only one grade level apart until we graduated from high school. We walked and later drove back and forth to school together every day. I was known to many of our teachers and many of her friends as “Sharon’s little brother.” We even had one high school chemistry class together. Sharon played the coronet in the band while I played the trumpet. Sharon was elected treasurer of the band at a time when she was responsible for collecting and depositing thousands of fund-raising dollars a year, and I followed her in that role the next year. Needless to say, we were close, I learned a lot from her, and we established a unique relationship with one another which lasted a lifetime.

For much of our adult life, even though we did not see each other often, Sharon was there for me and my family when we needed her. When we needed someone to care for our two-year old daughter, Katy, while my wife, Elaine, and I were at the hospital for the birth of our son, Jacob, it was Sharon that met that need. When Katy was leaving college in Austin for her first job in Denver, it was Sharon that went to Denver with Katy to help her find her first apartment.

The last few years as Sharon’s health declined, Sharon needed my help with transportation so she could attend family weddings and visits with our kids and grandkids. During this last year of her life, Sharon called me once or twice a week, and we had ongoing discussions about her health as well as sharing the latest stories about the grandkids. It was amazing that even though her physical body was failing, Sharon’s mind remained so sharp. Sharon always remembered and cared about her “Bubba” and his family. It is that care that I will miss the most.