Sharon Louise O’Neil Miller, 83, of Brentwood, Tennessee, passed from this life on June 29, 2024.
Sharon was born on August 12, 1940, a native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where she had a childhood filled with adventure, a love of the outdoors and riding horses. As a result, one of her earliest jobs was as the director of horseback riding at a girls’ camp in Southern California.
Sharon attended Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Oklahoma City where she found an interest in dramatic arts. A graduate of the University of Dallas, Sharon studied English, Speech, and Drama, and she taught in those fields for the next 45 years. It was while teaching in Fort Worth, Texas, that she met her husband, John, who worked as an aerospace engineer. In the mid-1960’s, the couple moved to Houston for an assignment with the space community as it prepared for Apollo 11, the first mission to the moon. Some of the astronauts’ children attended the high school where Sharon taught English. Later, while John was completing his Ph.D. at Cornell, she worked in “the listening rooms” of the undergraduate library during the tumultuous times of the Vietnam War.
Sharon was the devoted mother to three daughters, Kristin, Andrea, and Suzanne (Suzie). After taking on the challenge of a small farm in Centreville, Virginia, she and John settled down in Potomac, Maryland. There she continued battling rabbits in her vegetable garden and spent decades teaching in various roles, including directing plays at Cold Spring Elementary School, working in special education and teaching English at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School. Through her daughters’ active sports lives, she became interested in the college recruiting process and assisted many student-athletes as they searched for opportunities and made contact with coaches.
Once retired, she worked as an editor for daughter Suzie, who wrote multiple books on medical school admissions. A great fan of her grandchildren, Sharon traveled the world to see them participate in sports, arts, and Catholic sacraments. Sharon also developed an interest in watercolor painting sparked by the O’Neil family tradition in art and design, particularly inspired by her uncle John O’Neil, former head of Rice University Department of Art. Her interest blossomed through a series of watercolor classes while living in Rockville, Maryland. She entered work in art shows, gave pieces to family and friends, and even sold some watercolors. Upon moving to The Heritage in Brentwood, Tennessee, Sharon continued practicing her art, and very much enjoyed teaching classes to friends.
A devout Catholic, it was important to Sharon to continuously explore and share her faith. She was an active member of the community at St. Raphael Catholic Church in Rockville, Maryland for close to 50 years before moving to Brentwood. She felt welcomed by her new Catholic community at Holy Family in recent years.
Sharon was preceded in death by her husband, John Joseph Miller; parents, James Emmett and Mary Virginia O’Neil, and her brother, James Emmett O’Neil.
She is survived by her sister, Carolyn Anne O’Neil Cram of Dallas, Texas; brother, John Michael O’Neil of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; daughters, Kristin Marie MacClary of Franklin, Tennessee (son-in-law, Richard, grandchildren, Christy, John, Katherine, Ryan), Andrea Gwen Zimmermann of Riverton, NJ (son-in-law, Keith, grandchildren, Julia, Kylie, Claire) and Suzanne Marie Miller of Melbourne, Australia (son-in-law, Adam Elshaug, grandchildren, Owen, Isla).
Visitation will be at 10:00 am and funeral mass at 11:00 am on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at Holy Family Catholic Church, 9100 Crockett Road, Brentwood, Tennessee 37027. Internment will follow at the church columbarium. Flowers may be sent to Holy Family Catholic Church.
Memorial contributions may be made in Sharon’s name to GraceWorks 104 Southeast Parkway, Franklin, Tennessee 37064 or online at www.graceworkstn.org.
To leave a condolence, or share a memory of Sharon, please visit the Tribute Wall. https://www.austinfuneralservice.com
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