Sharon W. Lawyer, a longtime resident of Rye, passed away on January 18, 2017. She was 73. Her passion, determination, and caring were evident in her work, her family, and her desire to help others.
Born on April 18, 1943, in York, Pennsylvania, she received a B.A. from Wilson College. From 1965 to 1967, she was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, along with her husband, Bill. They moved to Rye in 1969, over Woodstock Weekend.
Mrs. Lawyer worked at a variety of jobs, including a wholesale jewelry business, St. Vincent’s Hospital, and the Rye Free Reading Room, but she was most proud of raising her children.
In addition to her husband Bill, she is survived by her daughter, Katie Sperling and her husband Matt, and son Liam Lawyer and his wife Kerrie and her grandchildren, Benjamin and Julia Sperling and Isabelle and Jake Lawyer, who were the lights of her life. She is also survived by her sister, Shelby Ness and her husband Ron; her brother-in-law, Marty Lawyer; and her sister-in-law, Becky Carr and her husband Ron.
A celebration of her life was held at Rye Presbyterian Church on January 28.
Donations in Sharon Lawyer’s memory may be made to The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (www.ocrfa.org), or to Wilson College, (“in memory of Sharon Lawyer Class of ’65,” Office of Institutional Advancement,
1015 Philadelphia Avenue, Chambersburg, PA 17201.
