William P. Sharp

William P. Sharp, 78, of Tempe, Arizona, passed away Nov. 29, 2024, while in hospice care following a brief illness. It was Bill’s wish that no funeral or memorial service be held, that he be cremated, and that his ashes be interred in the Westside Cemetery in Marble Rock, Iowa, near his parents and his sister.

Bill was born Jan. 19, 1946, in Charles City, Iowa, the eldest of four children born to Duane P. and Lila (Weaver) Sharp. He spent the first seven years of his life in Rockford, Iowa, and moved to Charles City with his family in 1953. He attended Central Elementary School, Charles City Junior High, and graduated from Charles City High School in 1964.

He attended Iowa State University for one year before being drafted into the United States Army in 1965. He completed his Basic, and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, before deploying to the Dominican Republic as a member of the Organization of American States Inter-American Peace Force in 1966. His unit, the 285th Engineer Det., was returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he completed his active duty obligation in 1967, and separated with a rank of Specialist 4. He received an Honorable Discharge from the Inactive Reserve in 1971.

Following his return to Charles City, He attended NIACC for a year and later met the love of his life, Sheryl Fursteneau. They were married in Minot, North Dakota on June 26, 1971, and remained together until his passing. The couple moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where Bill attended the University of Northern Iowa, completing a B.S. degree in microbiology in 1973. They then moved to Tempe, Arizona, where Bill attended Arizona State University, receiving his Masters Degree in microbiology in 1977. Bill then worked at the ASU Botany Department for 28 years, retiring in 2005 as Professor Emeritus, Senior Research Professional, Manager, Life Sciences Electron Microscopy Facility.

He is survived by Sheryl, his wife of 53 years, his brother Robert (Sheryl) of Urbandale, Iowa, and his sister Mary (Jay) Nowlin of McKinney, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his sister Jalynn Haberl.