Michael Robert Sharp, 78, recently passed away unexpectedly in Washington State while on vacation.
He was born in Dallas, Texas in 1945, to parents, Buddy and Ditty Sharp. He valued the Italian heritage of his mother and the integrity of his father’s family. He was a respected member of the Austin community for 50 years, and a devoted family man. Mike graduated from Highland Park High School in Dallas, then Southern Methodist University, where he earned a BA in 1967 and a JD in 1970. While at SMU, Mike met Sara, his sweetheart and wife of 56 years on a blind date. After college, he served as a Judge Advocate (JAG) in the U. S. Airforce from 1970 to 1973. He was very moved while working on wills and documents for airmen who were being sent to fight in Vietnam. Amazingly, he found an abandoned county courtroom, and installed it on the base for trials.
After their move to Austin in 1973, Mike served as Personnel Director for then Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe, and then was appointed the first Director of the Texas Program on Drug Abuse, where he secured funds for drug addiction prevention and treatment for Texans. Mike also served as General Counsel for the Texas Health Facilities Commission, which oversaw the building and expansion of hospitals.
Starting in 1976, Mike entered private practice in Administrative and Health law, representing hospitals and health care professionals. He defended health care professionals before their licensing boards and advised medical groups and hospitals on business and management matters. As a member of the State Bar of Texas, he published and spoke at conferences and professional events. In recent years Mike was an advisor to the Texas Medical Board on policy matters and was often named one of the outstanding lawyers in Texas. In 2001 Mike founded Sharp & Cobos, LLP with his friend Tony Cobos, and was practicing law until the time he passed. He greatly enjoyed being able to work with his brother, Chris Sharp in this firm, along with Courtney Newton, and many wonderful and efficient office staff members over his 50 years of practice. His warm and compassionate care caused him to be beloved by his clients, who often sent him letters of gratitude for his friendship and expert help.
Mike was an active volunteer in leadership positions in the Northwest Austin Civic Association and lived out his faith at First United Methodist Church of Austin, where he served as Lay Leader and Chairman of the Board. He was currently a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas. His dedication to serving the poor was evidenced through his many mission trips to Appalachia, Mexico, Honduras, and Uganda where he provided help with home and church repairs, medical assistance, encouragement, and material aid. He particularly enjoyed his last trip, with the Free Wheelchair Mission in Uganda, and his years as a parent leader on the Appalachia Service Project trips with his daughters. He was a participant in the Walk to Emmaus movement through which he forged deep, life-long relationships with the Reunion Group he met with weekly until the time of his death.
Mike’s favorite pastime, besides watching Longhorn and Cowboys football, was raising cattle and horses at his ranch. He was so happy competing in cutting horse competitions, mending fences, riding the tractor, treating the always injured horses, and hand feeding the animals. He felt so much peace while watching the clouds and beautiful sunsets in the country. He got great joy from teaching kids about horses and working on the ranch with his best friend, Joe Flores.
His legacy of encouragement, integrity, honesty, generosity, storytelling, humor and devotion to his family will be cherished and remembered by all who knew him. He was the glue of our family, always seeking connection and reconciliation. His convictions were unwavering, and his hugs will be irreplaceable. He never met a stranger and loved with full abandon. At home, you could always find him trying to master online word puzzles. His other passion was cooking for friends and family, cooking by instinct, not recipes. Sunday and holiday meals were gourmet extravaganzas.
Mike is survived by his loving wife, Sara, and his daughters, Ellen Sharp Tuthill, Bonnee Genevieve Sharp, and Sally Sharp Schwarz. Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Buddy and Ditty Sharp, and his older brother, Steven Sharp.
He was a proud grandfather, actively involved in the lives of his seven grandkids, who called him Papa. They are sorely missing him. They are Baker and Bennett Tuthill; Georgia, Genevieve and Beckett Sharp Fuller; and Sadie and Eloise Schwarz. His family included his beloved sons-in-law, William Tuthill and Bo Schwarz; his brother, Christopher Sharp with wife Kydie and children Elizabeth, Stephen, Michael, and William Sharp of Dallas; his sister-in-law, Pat Sharp of WA and her family; and his brother-in-law, James Dycus and wife Elizabeth Dycus, with children Jamie Dycus and Annie Dycus Shapiro, of New York, NY along with their families. Mike will also be missed by many cousins whom he loved like siblings. Also sadly missing him is his faithful dog, Rocky.
A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, August 24, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at St. John’s UMC, 2140 Allendale Rd., Austin, Texas, 78756. The service will be livestreamed on the church’s website at www.stjohnsaustin.org/live for those who cannot attend in person. In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates donations to St. John’s UMC, Austin or First UMC, Austin.
