Sharron Lea Hoff Stewart October 18, 1938 – July 17, 2024 Sharron Lea Hoff Stewart was born on October 18, 1938, in Tacoma, Washington, to Muriel and Earl J. Hoff. She passed away on July 17, 2024.
In 1946, Sharron’s father was transferred by his employer, Graybar Electric Company, from Tacoma to Butte, Montana. Shortly thereafter, Sharron was diagnosed with rheumatic fever and confined to bed for an extended period. During this time, her parents discovered Sharron’ s gift for art.
Her drawings, watercolors, and paintings quickly covered the walls of her Butte bedroom. Due to her illness, Sharron’s doctors eventually recommended she move to a warmer climate. Her father explained the situation to his employer and though it was doubted by Earl Hoff that his services were actually needed in Dallas, Texas, Graybar Electric graciously transferred Sharron and family from the cold of Butte, Montana to the warmth of Dallas.
Once settled in Dallas, Sharron’s health improved rapidly. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1957 and attended Southern Methodist University and Texas Christian University, earning an art degree in 1961. After graduation, she taught art in junior high schools in Fort Worth from 1961 until 1964.
In 1963, a pal from her SMU days insisted Sharron meet a friend of hers, who was attending law school at The University of Texas. This law-student friend was Vaughan O’Neal Stewart. Their first date, arranged during the Christmas holidays in 1963,.