Jan Sharp

Wanda Janice Wilson Sharp was born on February 25, 1947, in Fort Lauderdale, FL, to Charles Elvin and Esthalene Brown Wilson. Sometime before 1952, the family moved to Charles and Esthalene’s home of Cottage Grove, TN, and in May of 1954, they relocated to the Detroit, Michigan area, where Jan attended the Roosevelt School in Wayne, MI. Jan developed a love for learning and was able to skip the third grade because she was so far ahead in her school work. 

In the years following, the family would return to Cottage Grove in Tennessee, where Jan graduated from the Cottage Grove School in 1964. She wasn’t only concerned about academics as she also competed on the Cottage Grove girls basketball team. Upon graduating high school, Jan continued her education at Freed-Hardeman College in Henderson, TN, where she studied Biology. It was there that she met Roy Sharp, whom she married on September 8, 1966.

Roy and Jan moved to Oklahoma City in 1968 and graduated from Oklahoma Christian University (Jan in 1969; Roy in 1970). After Roy received his masters degree from Central State University in Edmond, OK, in 1971, Roy and Jan returned to Henderson, TN, where Roy began teaching at Freed-Hardeman College while Jan took a job teaching at Chester County High School from 1971-1974. On October 12, 1971, Roy and Jan welcomed their first child, Amy Margaret (Meg). Jon Benjamin was soon to follow on November 21, 1973. 

After the births of their first two children, the Sharps continued to pursue their educational opportunities in Murfreesboro, TN (1974-1976), where Jan earned her masters degree and Roy received his doctorate from MTSU. They then returned to Freed-Hardeman and Roy resumed his teaching responsibilities in 1976. Roy and Jan welcomed their third child, Rachel Elizabeth, on June 3, 1977. While Jan spent the next few years being a full-time mom of three, the family of five moved to Memphis (1979-82), where Roy took a job preaching for the Brownsville Road Church of Christ while earning another masters degree from Harding Graduate School.

In 1982, the Sharp family moved back to Henderson, TN, where Roy and Jan have remained. Jan worked as an audiovisual librarian at Freed-Hardeman for 18 years, and retired in 2000 to be a full-time Mimi. Roy continued working at Freed-Hardeman, and retired in 2018, after 47 years. 

While living in Henderson, Roy and Jan ministered to several congregations of the Lord’s church: Ramer Church of Christ (1982-1986); Estes Church of Christ (1987-2011); Henderson Church of Christ (2011-2021); Linden Church of Christ (2021-2023). The influence of Coach Sharp and Mrs. Jan in the lives of literally thousands of young people was facilitated by their work directing Mid-South Youth Camp for 20 years. Jan also volunteered her time and energy as a part of the FHU Associates, raising money for student scholarships from 1982 until her passing in 2024. Mrs. Jan’s garage has widely been known as a storage space for medical supplies, clothes, non-perishable food, school supplies, and many other donated items for the mission work in Haiti that Roy and Jan were actively involved in from 2005 until 2020.

Jan is preceded in death by her parents, Charles Elvin and Esthalene Brown Wilson. She is survived by: 6 siblings - sister Pat (Kenneth) Thurmond, sister Peggy (Neil) Chittam, brother Chuck Wilson, sister Beth (Ricky) Weatherford, brother Bruce (Lisa) Wilson, and sister Melanie Guinn; husband of 58 years - Roy Sharp; three children - Amy Margaret Sharp, Jon Benjamin Sharp, and Rachel Sharp Wyatt; one favorite son-in-law, Joshua Wyatt; and six grandchildren - Cyrus Sharp, Cora Sharp, Chesney Sharp, Florine Wyatt, Kai Wyatt, and Lance West.

Services have been scheduled for Saturday, October 26, at the Henderson Church of Christ in Henderson, TN (240 White Avenue, Henderson, TN, 38340). Visitation will begin at 11:00 AM, and the memorial service will follow at 1:00 PM. The service will be livestreamed and can be viewed at hendersoncoc.com.

Memorials may be made to: The Roy and Jan Sharp Scholarship Fund, Freed-Hardeman University (158 E. Main St., Henderson, TN, 38340).