Christmas Day 2025.
The world lost one of most amazing souls to travel this journey with us.
My friend Sharon died after 20 years of bravely fighting for her life.
I met Sharon in the early 1990s as my career in Education Technology was starting to take hold. She was a Teacher Librarian in La Grande and was a force to be reckoned with, always finding new ways to help her students learn. We became fast friends and colleagues. A friendship that lasted for decades producing memories to last a lifetime.
When I read Sharon’s obituary and saw Vienna mentioned, my mind immediately went back to a special trip in the early 2000s. Sharon and I would always laugh about the Chairman of the Vienna School Board and his hand-stitched suit. And then there was the flea market, where she found that fabulous Russian tea thing (a samovar, I think?). On the way home through Atlanta, we had a long layover—so of course we hopped in a cab and went to Cracker Barrel.
The countless hours spent trying to figure out the best way for students to use video in the classroom...or Palm Pilots! Ideas generated, curriculum written, videos produced...all in an effort to help educate the world.
And then there was the time Sharon was in Portland for doctor’s appointments in 2013 and stayed at our house while we jetted off to Hawaii. The garage door spring broke just as we were heading to the airport. Only a true friend would coordinate the repair, pay for it, and act as though it was no big deal (we did pay her back...!)
So many amazing memories...and needless to say, my personal and professional successes are due in a large part to Sharon's guidance and wisdom all those years ago.
