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OBITUARIES
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| Sharon Hege Everhart July 18, 1943 - October 27, 2023 |
Sharon Lou Hege Everhart left us on Friday, October 27, 2023 at Forsyth Medical Center surrounded by her family. Sharon's grandchildren believe she became a butterfly that day.
Sharon was born to the late Vivian Hazel Hege and Gilmer Hege on July 18, 1943, in Davidson County.
Growing up in the Pilgrim community, Sharon was a happy girl surrounded by the love and laughter of her family. She especially cherished her relationship with her late grandmother, Pauline. Sharon also told stories about how working in the tobacco fields with her grandfather could be fun, especially when afterward they rode to the community store to get Cheerwines and Mallo Cups.
Sharon loved to learn and instilled her commitment to education into the children in her life. At Pilot High School, she was a standout student and star basketball player.
Sharon had a strong work ethic and was truly a Renaissance woman. After high school, she attended Ashmore Business College, worked at Chairtown Finance, and then at First Union National Bank while obtaining her Bachelor of Arts in Education from High Point University. Sharon then worked as a special education teacher for Davidson County Schools. She dearly loved her students and, from that point on, dedicated her life to helping children. After her teaching career, she became a licensed real estate broker, general contractor, and residential builder.
Since her twenties, Sharon has managed real estate alongside her husband, Stan. A self-described "political maverick," Sharon also held a lifelong passion for politics, which she viewed as a powerful vehicle for social change in the lives of those in need, especially children. Sharon served as a member of the Davidson County School Board and ran for Davidson County Board of Commissioners and the North Carolina State Senate. She worked with and for children most of her life as a Guardian Ad Litem, basketball coach, tutor, and educational advocate. She regularly donated to foster care children, animal advocacy groups, and Title I schools.
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Sharon was always the smartest person in the room and possessed a brilliant mind and sharp wit that could often be intimidating. At the same time, what truly stood out about her was her tremendous generosity, compassion, and optimism. Her primary focus in life was enhancing the lives of those around her, and she made tremendous personal sacrifices to do so. Above all, Sharon loved her family. Her love is like a thread woven through the hearts of those she loved most, and everything we do is stitched with its color. In her final days, she never gave up hope, and made her family laugh and smile through their tears.
Sharon found peace in nature. She always felt that God was with us all the time, not just in church but everywhere. When her family thinks of Sharon, they will always envision butterflies, hummingbirds, flowers, and running water.
Sharon is survived by her loving husband and friend, James Stanley Everhart, her grateful daughter, Jan Everhart Newman (Robert), and her beloved grandchildren, Conor James Newman and Addison ("Addie") Elizabeth Newman.
She fondly recalled memories from her and Stan's earlier days, going dancing with friends, waterskiing at the lake, and going to the movies. Sharon dedicated herself to being a mother, always believing in and fighting for her daughter. Although Sharon would never take the credit, her daughter always knew that her educational and professional accomplishments were fueled by Sharon's unwavering and unconditional faith in her.
Most of all, Sharon said her greatest blessing was her grandchildren and being "Nana." She ensured her grandchildren would have a lifetime of beautiful memories of family holidays, gatherings, and trips filled with laughter and magic. She especially loved Halloween and Christmas. At Halloween, she loved haunted houses, spooky decorations, and greeting all of the trick-or-treaters. At Christmas, her house was full of twinkling lights, Christmas music, and way too many snowmen. Her grandchildren have always felt Nana's house was an oasis of love and wonder. Among the many gifts she left her grandchildren were journals full of her favorite memories about generations of their family and words of wisdom for them. She encouraged them to: "stay positive, find the silver lining, treasure your time on this earth, give back to your community, sing often, imagine, tell stories to the world, listen to the music, color your life in rich colors, dance, believe in yourself, and be all that you can be.
Sharon treasured her role as "big sis" to her beloved siblings, Gilmer Hege, Jr. ("Mutt"), Gerald Hege (Geri), and Cheryl ("Sherry") Hege Miller (Ned). Sharon and her oldest brother, Mutt, were a formidable creative team and built houses together for many years. Gerald and Sharon shared a love of politics and writing. If it's true that "iron sharpens iron," then Sharon and her beloved sister, Sherry, were an indomitable force. Strong and bold women, Sherry and Sharon shared a love of animals, decorating, retail therapy, the beach, and creating laughter and treasured memories for the children in their lives.
Sharon loved being Aunt Sharon Lou and dearly loved her nieces and nephews–Keith Hege, Justin Hege, Travis Hege, Abby Miller, and Alex Miller–and their partners.
She cherished her friends Gilda Greer, Mary Coleman, Mary Ruth Parks, and Alice Spaugh.
The family will hold a private celebration of life for Sharon.
The family would also like to give special thanks to those nurses and staff at Forsyth Medical Center who cared for Sharon and supported her family.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make donations to the Kendall Conner Family Research Fund to support research to save lives and find a cure for Leigh Syndrome.
To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of Sharon Hege Everhart, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store
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