Ronald Clinton Sharp, 92, entered eternal life at 3 a.m. June 6, 2012, in Kosciusko Community Hospital, Warsaw.
He was born Nov. 27, 1919, in Syracuse, in a residence where St. Andrews United Methodist church is currently located, to Fielden and Muriel Baker Sharp. On Sept. 11, 1949, in Leesburg, he married Joan Diehl, who died June 4, 1992.
Nearly his entire life was spent in his hometown. His love for the printed word began as youngster, when he and his brother helped his father deliver newspapers to residents in the Syracuse Lake and Lake Wawasee area. He graduated from Syracuse High School in 1939 and attended Goshen College. In 1942 he was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Force, serving his country for three years, 11 months and 14 days, including one year in India. He reported overseas by traveling the Pacific Ocean on the way there and the Atlantic on the return trip.
Following his discharge from the U.S. Army Air Force, he worked for the Times-Union for a number of years, including assignments as circulation manager and city editor. He authored a pair of long-time local newspaper columns, first with “Confidentially Yours” in the Times-Union and later “Under the Courthouse Dome” for The Papers Inc. He left newspapers in the mid 1960’s to become purchasing manager at Whitley Products, Pierceton.
He helped establish the Kosciusko County Historical Society, served as its president for two years, continued on its board of directors for a number of years and added service of the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Society Board to these experiences. He also was proud of his public service as clerk-treasurer of Syracuse, Kosciusko County councilman and member on both the county board of zoning appeals and the county plan commission.
Appointed by the Indiana Historical Society, he served as the official Kosciusko County historian for many years. In 2000, the county was recognized as one of the top four historical programs in the state. He and his wife published some 30 books of local and county history in addition to chronicles of the county’s involvement in the Civil War.
He joined the Lakeside United Brethren Church in 1925, maintaining his membership as it later became Calvary Evangelical United Brethren and finally Calvary United Methodist Church. He served on the church board, Sunday school superintendent and the pastor parish committee, thankful always for the blessings God had given him.
Surviving are two sons, Steve Sharp, Syracuse, and Dan (and spouse Melinda) Sharp, New Paris; and grandchildren, Adrian Sharp, Goshen, and Audrey (and spouse Adam) Lung, Kalamazoo, Mich. He also was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Lowell and Meredith; and a sister, Shirley Gardner.
A private graveside service will be Saturday at Syracuse Community Cemetery with a memorial service at 2 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church, Syracuse.
Owen Family Funeral Home, 1001 S. Huntington St., Syracuse, is in charge of the arrangements. ***** Memorials may be made to the Syracuse Public Library for the purchase of large print books.
