Frances Sharp O'Leary

Frances Sharp O’Leary passed away peacefully on Sunday, the 1st of January 2023, in Houston, at the age of 87. She was born in Houston on the 26th of July 1935, to the late Lucile Holt Sharp and Frank Wesley Sharp. She attended St. John’s School and graduated from Lamar High School where she was a member of the Choralette singing group. She was considered by many a true “Southern Beauty” and was in fact voted “Most Beautiful” by her high school senior class.

Frances was a very gracious and kind-hearted person. She was always generous with her time and supported many Houston public charitable organizations. She served as a volunteer docent at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts for 10 years. In addition, she was an active member of the Houston Junior League.

Frances was a very social and engaging person and had a large circle of lifetime friends. She thoroughly enjoyed playing bridge with her Thursday and Saturday bridge group in the Paisley Room at the River Oaks Country Club where she was a long-standing member. Frances also loved to travel, especially to Europe, and greatly enjoyed studying historic sites and various cultures.

Throughout her life Frances loved to tend to her garden. In light of this passion, she was also a very enthusiastic supporter of the Gardens of the Forum and the Bayou Bend Gardens. She also was an avid member of the River Oaks Garden Club and served as Azalea Trail Chairman. She opened her lovely home to the Azalea Trail numerous times.

Frances was preceded in death by her parents Lucile and Frank Sharp and loving husband John C. O’Leary. She was previously married to William Douglas Haden II with whom she had her only daughter.

She is survived by her daughter Frances Haden Alexander “Lovie” and husband Benjamin M. Alexander, grandson Wesley H. Alexander, and sister Elizabeth Sharp Frank, niece Lucy Lynch, nephews Claude Hooton and Frank Hooton, stepdaughter Nina O’Leary Zilkha and her husband Michael Zilkha, sister Alisa Erin O’Leary, brother John Cavanaugh O’Leary and wife Blanca O’Leary.

Frances’ family would like to give special thanks to her wonderful and devoted caregivers, Barbara Lane, Tara Flores and Barbara Naranjo and to Dr. Kim Bloom as well as the doctors and nurses at Walter Tower 10th floor ICU.

Those honored to serve as Honorary Pallbearers are Benjamin M. Alexander, Wesley H. Alexander, Claude Hooton and Frank Hooton.

Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family and share remembrances of Frances during a visitation from six o’clock until eight o’clock in the evening on Friday, the 20th of January, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A memorial service is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Saturday, the 21st of January, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where The Rev. Dr. R. Leigh Spruill, Rector of The Church of St. John the Divine, is to officiate.

Immediately following all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the adjacent grand foyer.

Prior to the service, the family will have gathered for a private interment at Forest Park Lawndale in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances in Frances’ memory, memorial contributions may be directed to the River Oaks Garden Club, 2503 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77098 or by email [email protected].

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