JOHN (TOM) THOMAS SHARP

Tom Sharp, 83, a lover of music and the outdoors, died suddenly Jan. 22, of a brain aneurism. His family and friends will greatly miss his sunny disposition, intelligence and sense of humor.

He and his wife Ginny moved to Camano Island in 1995.

Tom is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ginny, their children Cynthia Wines (Lincoln Kamell), David Creighton (Jamie Katz), Julie and Holly. Survivors also include grandchildren Natalie, Caroline, Cooper, Maya and former daughter-in-law Mary; three brothers, Dick, Jim, and Bob Sharp, his sister Kathy O'Neal, their spouses, and numerous nieces and nephews also survive him.

Born in Richmond, Ind., Tom lived in various Midwest states and graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1958.

He loved the urban vibes of Chicago where he lived with his family for 30 years. His career began as an advertising copywriter in Chicago with Marsteller, Inc. He remained with the company for 20 years, becoming the President of Corporate Communications Group. In 1986, Tom was named General Manager of the new Chicago office of Hal Riney & Partners.

Tom's link to the Northwest was sparked by his membership on the board of the National Outdoor Leadership School, (NOLS) with NW headquarters in Conway, Wash. Among other projects, he shared his marketing expertise to help NOLS develop and launch the Leave No Trace program, which is now nationally recognized.
For more than 10 years he enjoyed rugged adventure courses in the wilderness including several in Alaska, Baja and Kenya/Tanzania. He was president of the NOLS Board from 1988 until 1990. After moving to Camano, Tom spent weeks each year in Chicago where he attended classical music courses at the University of Chicago.

Donations in memory of Tom Sharp may be made to NOLS, Development Department, 284 Lincoln St. Lander, WY. 82520.