Sharon Amy Johnson

Sharon Amy Johnson was born to Ruth and Don Weinstock on October 5, 1959 in Brooklyn, NY where she lived with them and her older brother Jeff for most of a decade as part of a tight-knit extended Jewish family. The four of them moved to Denver, CO where she grew up with her lifelong friend Simona (still living). She went on to marry her college sweetheart, Charles Johnson (66), with whom she shared 14 years married and 3 children she adored. Before leaving Colorado for the Johnson family business in Texas, Sharon had her first child, Erin (43). A few years after Andrew (41) was born, Sharon lost her mother for whom she named her last child, Ruth (36).

Despite leaving college in pursuit of motherhood, Sharon built a successful career in the male-dominated fishing rod industry, rising from a bookkeeping function all the way to the Operations Manager of All Star Graphite Rods. She worked there for over a decade before multiple acquisitions resulted in the closing of the Houston-local operation. At that time, all of her children had graduated high school, and instead of accepting a transfer position in South Carolina, Sharon closed the chapter on that career in pursuit of a fresh start.

During her professional sabbatical, Sharon moved to Bartlesville, OK and ultimately returned to the work that most fulfilled her, teaching and tending to the small children she loved—this time as Grandma. When Erin and her husband Mike moved to Lake Jackson, TX, Sharon went from granny-nanny on weekdays to a full time cohabitating part of the family. Later they all moved to Spring together where she lived and provided care for Sam (23), Jack (19), Jesselyn (17), Max (15), Jeremiah (15), and Edie (12), until her near-fatal stroke in 2022.

For a few years before settling back in California, Andrew and his wife Anna also lived in Spring with their three children, Adlai (11), Calliope (10), and Tobin (5), and Sharon took great pleasure in the opportunity to care for them, including daytimes with her "Toby" while the bigger kids all attended school.

Ruth and Zach lived just across town with their two children, Hazel (9) and Ezra (6), so Grandma saved her every-other-Friday-off for them and delighted in floor picnics and inventive hairstyles, and sometimes sleepovers, too. She had always wanted a big family—her biggest dream came true.

Sharon also had a bustling social life. She loved going dancing with her friends, playing sand volleyball, hiking, fishing, boating, volunteering, and gardening. She sometimes read 10 books a week, and became quite the bread-maker and chef in her grandma years. Sharon's guilty pleasure was Christmas movies, she hated GMOs, and she was very likely James Taylor's biggest fan.

Regardless of the many frustrations she faced in recovery after the stroke that left her in a coma for 8 days, Sharon never faltered in her deep appreciation for surviving. The last year and a half of her life, she worked hard to recover as much function as possible despite a tremendous brain injury and near full-paralysis on the left side. She took every opportunity to express love to her family and friends, and felt profoundly grateful for the unceasing physical and financial support provided by her children and their spouses through her final time on earth.

Sharon died in her sleep early in the morning on April 24, 2024 at the age of 64. Her spirit is now at rest alongside her parents and brother, knowing fully that she expressed her love to her family, and that they deeply loved her in return.

In lieu of flowers, please consider sharing a written favorite memory or photo of Sharon for a scrapbook. The family hopes to get an even clearer picture of just how many ways Sharon touched the world around her.

A catered visitation for Sharon will be held Saturday, May 11, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Forest Park The Woodlands Funeral Home, during which the family is inviting friends and family to share stories and memories of Sharon.