Sharon Leigh Clark Ph.D.

July 17, 1932 - September 24, 2020 Sharon Leigh Clark, PhD, 88, passed away at home on Thursday September 24, 2020 with her loving husband of 46 years, Glenn Gruber, at her side. Sharon was born in Brooklyn to Mary Craig of Presque Isle, Maine and William Clark of NYC. Sharon graduated from Winslow (Maine) HS in 1949 and earned her BA in Physical Education at the University of Maine. At Maine she played the trombone in the marching band and was a cheerleader. In 1953 she was a runner-up in the Miss Maine beauty pageant. From 1959 to 1963 Sharon taught for the Department of Defense Overseas Schools in Germany, France and Japan. She earned a Masters in Psychology from Springfield College and went on to teach Dance in the Physical Education Department at Trenton State College from 1966 to 1972 where she met her future husband, Glenn Gruber, who was a student at TSC. Sharon completed her PhD in Dance Anthropology at NYU, then became Chair of the Dance Department at George Washington University. In 1976 Sharon and Glenn relocated to Southern California. In 1979 Sharon became a contestant on the Game Show, "Whew". She won $25,680 in 22 minutes, the equivalent to $200,000 today! Sharon then formed her company, Sharon Clark Associates Inc., and secured contracts with the MetroRail project, the Army Corps of Engineers and a Small Business Innovation Research contract with the US Navy. She was a member of the Pasadena Housing Mediation Board, and chaired the Tri-Cities Transportation Commission. She was a member of Women at Work, National Association of Women Business Owners and Daughters of the American Revolution (William Bradford, the first Governor of the Plymouth Colony is a relative). As a participant in the annual Do Dah Parade, Sharon was the leader of the group, "Polyanna, the Polyester Princess of the Polyester People of Pasadena". Despite their 17 year age difference Sharon and Glenn had a burning passion between them, gentle and complete caring and a deep, deep love that led to a fantastic journey and an extraordinary life together.