Sharon Kay Fitzgerald was born on April 4, 1942 in West Des Moines, Iowa to Ray Matherly & Vivian Phares. She passed away at home on July 2, 2021 to be with her Lord and reunited with loved ones.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Ray Matherly & Vivian Phares; brothers, Alfred Phares, James Matherly & Ray Matherly Jr; step-son, John Stish(Maureen); and grandson, Timothy Stish.
Sharon is survived by her husband, Roger Fitzgerald; son, George William Stish III; daughter, Michelle Strawser (Steve); step-daughter, Becky Street (Greg); 13 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren and many nieces & nephews.
At the age of 17, Sharon moved to California where she met her first husband. From that union were two children, Willie and Shelley.
The family returned to Iowa in 1983. Sharon and Roger were married in 1985. The two moved to Texas in 2014.
Sharon worked various jobs throughout her life, settling on a career at the Iowa Veteran's Hospital from which she retired in 2014. She made many friendships there that she maintained until her passing. Special thanks to Don & Christy Noftsger for the care/companionship you provide to her in her final weeks. We will be forever grateful.
Sharon enjoyed traveling and spending time with her family. Some of her fondest memories were from road trips with her grandsons, Willy & Anthony. Later in life, she found a passion for cruising and enjoyed many trips with family and friends.
If Marilyn Monroe had a number one fan, it had to be Sharon. One of her favorite movies was, Some Like it Hot.
She collected lighthouses, turtles and friends. Sharon cherished her relationships with the people in her life and made sure to keep in contact through cards, texts, phone calls, Snaps and shared Facebook posts.
She had many great memories of family days at the Iowa State Fair, camping with friends in the RV, motocross weekends, attending family events and the Fitzgerald family reunions.
Sharon felt that if you were her friend, that meant you were also family. Those who knew her understood this and were always welcome. Many considered her a "second mom."
She was loved and will be greatly missed.
The family of Sharon will be holding a private memorial service at a later date.