Barbara Benton Sharp

1943 - 2022

Barbara Faye Benton Sharp passed away on September 23, 2022. She was born on November 17, 1943 at Easton Memorial Hospital, daughter of the late Earle Davis Benton and Mildred Woodrow Benton.

In 1961 she graduated from Centreville High School where she had been elected President of the Senior Class.

After completing her freshman year at Salisbury Teachers College she married her high school sweetheart. William B Sharp. They were blessed with a son, Mark B. Sharp in 1963.

Later Barbara resumed her education at Chesapeake College where she was a member of the collage's first graduating class of 1969. She then completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education at Delaware State College in 1971. For the next 20 years she taught first grade at Centreville Elementary School. Teaching had been her life-long goal ever since she was in Miss Rittenhouse's third grade class a Centreville Elementary.

Barbara was a member of Centreville United Methodist Church where she played the piano for 26 years and taught Sunday School. When asked to start a summer bible school for the church and community she did so and was its first director and music teacher.

Barbara enjoyed helping others by volunteering at Corsica Hills Nursing Home as bingo caller for 20 years, cooking dinners for housebound seniors of the church and for Lions Club to benefit the church. She was also active in the Centreville High School Alumni Assoc. and was a former member of Delta Kappa Gamma, honorary organization for teachers.

Her happiest times were spent with her family. Traveling with her husband, photographing nature, reading her many books, listening to music, tending to her flowers, having or going to family dinners, and lunching and visiting with friends. Three of her lunch groups included the Crab Club, the 61 Lunch Bunch and the Centreville Elementary Retired Teachers and Staff.

Barbara was a life-long learner and a life-long small town-farm Eastern Shore girl.

She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Bill; son mark and his wife Melinda; sister Linda Benton Pope (Bill); nephew Mike Leager (Robin); great nephews, Aaron (Joanna) their son Tanner and Jonathan (Kelley) their daughter Kinsley and her cousins, Jack Miles (Judy), Angie Robertson (Clint) and Helen Derwin (Jim) and their families.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at Centreville United Methodist on October 2 at 2 pm. A luncheon will follow in Fellowship Hall. Burial will be private. Flowers welcomed or donations may be offered to Centreville UM Church 608 Church Hill Rd. Centreville, MD 21617.

Arrangement by Galena Funeral Home of Stephen L. Schaech.