Sharon Leftwich Miller

Sharon Leftwich Miller, July 6, 1959 - January 28, 2023
There are people whose presence in this world is as warm and radiant as a sunrise, and capturing the essence of their life in words is as impossible as bottling the beauty of the dawn. Sharon Miller was one of those people. But it's worth trying, because not to is to miss an opportunity to celebrate a life well lived and a legacy that will endure forever.
Sharon was born on July 6, 1959, the third of Jim and Patsy Leftwich's four children. There's no such thing as a perfect family, but hers was a loving, nurturing home where she was encouraged to explore her interests and develop her talents. Early on Sharon gravitated toward music and dancing, two loves that she continued to develop and use until the end of her earthly life.
She was feisty, funny, and fun as a child and never outgrew those delightful qualities. But the singular most important moment of her life happened when she was fifteen years old. Jesus opened her heart and understanding to the simple yet unfathomable mystery of eternal life. She understood that, while she had done nothing to deserve it, Jesus had died in her place, taking the punishment of her sin and rebellion against a holy God, and had risen from the dead, conquering death forever and making a way for her to know God and live for Him in this life and the one to come. She never looked back.
While Sharon will be remembered for the many wonderful things she accomplished, the winsome way she loved and welcomed everyone who entered the circle of her influence, and the light she brought into any room she entered, the one thing she would want everyone to know is that, ultimately, none of it was about her. It was about loving God and loving people, precisely because she knew she was loved by God and wanted everyone else to know they are, too.
As a daughter, sister, wife, mom, friend, teacher, musician, choreographer, and every other hat she wore, Sharon lived with eternal purpose. And the many hundreds of texts, emails, and messages that have flooded social media since she stepped into the presence of Jesus reveal how deep her influence went - messages spanning all the seasons of her life, from extended family members, friends from high school and college, former and current neighbors and friends, church members, students, their parents, and more. Messages filled with gratitude and love for how she brought life and light into thousands of spaces.
Sharon graduated from W.T. White high school in 1977 and went on to obtain a degree in music theory and composition from the University of Texas in May, 1982. On December 19, 1981, she married the love of her life, Glen Tate Miller, and any dreams she had of pursuing a career in music took a back seat to her desire to be a wife and mom. Two years later, Nathan Glen was born, followed by Anna Kathleen in 1986, and John Brandon in 1989. In 1997, Ashia Nicole was adopted into the warm embrace of this loving home at the age of nine, and she would be the first to tell you it saved her life.
If you meet any one of Sharon's children today, it's easy to imagine what a fun and wonderful mother she was. But more importantly, you glimpse the fruit of countless hours spent on her knees, and countless conversations about what matters most in life. They are all following Jesus, living fully and joyfully, knowing as she did that their lives are not about themselves but about building a kingdom that is not of this world. All four children are married to believers, and between them, they are bringing up Sharon's thirteen grandchildren to know and love Jesus.
Sharon gave herself first to the Lord and then to her family. She also taught music and choir for more than thirty years and never stopped loving it. Children and teens who attended Fredonia Hill Academy, Woden Elementary and High Schools, Pineywoods Academy, EP Razor Elementary, Liberty Christian School, and Coram Deo Academy not only learned how to sing, they were mentored in how to live. Sharon always provided a safe place where kids knew they were wanted and could be honest and real. In addition to teaching music, she enjoyed choreographing choir shows, combining her life-long loves of music and dance.
In May, 2022, Sharon noticed some unusual symptoms, and that summer was diagnosed with systemic scleroderma, an incurable autoimmune illness. The disease progressed rapidly, but even as her strong, healthy body grew increasingly weak, she clung to her faith and to hope. She knew God could heal her even if medicine couldn't, and as late as December, 2022, she was talking about selecting music for her choirs for this spring. But she was also ready to go be with Jesus. As she put it, we all have an exit strategy, and this isn't the one she would have chosen, but that wasn't her call. In her final days, she repeatedly emphasized both her love for her family and friends, but also her readiness to go be with the Lord. She had no fear of death and used her last remaining strength to assure everyone not only of her desire to be with Him but of His love for them and the hope of heaven if they take the step of faith she took at fifteen.
And now she is face to face with Jesus. She has no worries, no pain, no regrets. She has seen not only the fruit of her own life, but the ripples set in motion through the many lives she touched. We can't possibly imagine what she is experiencing, but we are comforted in knowing she is completely healed, and all the singing and dancing she relished in this life can't compare with the glorious celebration she's enjoying now.
Sharon is survived by her beloved husband, Glen, their four children and spouses, Nathan and Meghan Miller, Anna and Stuart Sanders, Ashia and Jon Martin, and Brandon and Molly Miller; her thirteen grandchildren: Heidi, August, and Caroline Miller; Mallory, Shane, Daphne, and Chloe Sanders; Liam, Micah, and Zeke Martin; and Paloma, Gabriel, and Leona Miller; three siblings and their families, and a host of other relatives and friends. She will be desperately missed, but her legacy is only beginning.
Sharon, you fought the good fight, you finished the race, you kept the faith. Well done. May we all live and die as beautifully as you did.