Eric Rodman Sharp

SHARP Erik Rodman Sharp was born on December 5, 1958, in San Diego, California and died at age 57 on February 6, 2016, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Erik’s father, Rodman Sharp, was a nuclear physicist; his mother, Rosemary Sharp, was an anthropologist. Erik spent his childhood in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; New Orleans; and Ripon, Wisconsin. As a young man, Erik loved Popular Mechanics, photography and chess. He was a gifted student and regional chess champion in middle school, and at age 15 he left his Wisconsin public high school to attend Phillips Exeter Academy, where he demonstrated a love of literature, Spanish, film and music. In 1976, in his senior year of high school, Erik was stricken with a debilitating form of schizophrenia. He was treated with great kindness by Exeter, which enabled him to graduate despite the challenges of his affliction. After high school, at age 17, Erik attended Hampshire College for one semester, but the hardships imposed by his disability forced him to withdraw. Erik spent most of the remainder of his life living in hospitals and other institutions in and around Cambridge and Boston. He was adored by his family, and known by all as a man of tremendous kindness, generosity and sensitivity. Throughout his life, he showed unusual depth of character, resilience and fortitude in the face of tremendous hardship. He nurtured a lifelong love of music, drawing, chess, Spanish and the Bible. Erik was a devoted uncle to his nephews Julio Sharp and Alex T. S. Fox, and was deeply loved by his sisters, anthropologist Lesley A. Sharp and author Paula Sharp; and by his brother-in-law Ross Eatman. Erik is survived by his two nephews, his sisters, his brother-in-law and many friends. Services for Erik will be conducted by Pastor Mark Weaver on Wednesday, February 17, at 10:00 A.M. at the First Parish Unitarian Church, 3 Church Street, Cambridge, MA (Harvard Square). An 11:00 A.M. reception will be held following the service. Family and friends may bring flowers to the service, or in lieu of flowers, may consider making donations in the name of Erik Rodman Sharp to the residential mental health community Gould Farm (gouldfarm.org). Erik will be laid to rest in Cambridge Cemetery. Information: burnsfuneralhomes.com.