Michael Sharp

Michael Lee Sharp, 34, of Oceanside, CA, died Friday evening (March 8, 2002) in Tri-City Medical Center, Oceanside, CA. He was born on August 6, 1967, to Richard (Dick) and Karen (Van Meter) Sharp in Centerville, Iowa. He graduated with honors from Orchard Farm High School in 1985, and was selected to the Suburban East Basketball Conference First Team that year. He attended Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond where he lettered in varsity basketball and graduated summa cum laude in electrical engineering in 1990. On August 13, 1988, he was united in marriage to Kristin Tedrick in St. Charles. Mike’s engineering career began at ComStream/SPAR Communications in Santa Maria, CA. He transferred to San Diego with the company in 1993 where it later became NSI Communications. For the past three years he was the Manager of Hardware Engineering. His group designed hardware used in satellite-based telecommunication systems throughout the world. Mike Sharp attended faithfully at West Coast Baptist Church in Vista, California, where he and his wife served as teen group leaders for the past five years. He also was a treasurer and deacon. Previously he and his wife directed the deaf ministry at First Baptist Church in Santa Maria, California. He was an avid sportsman and enjoyed the outdoors. He also enjoyed traveling, reading, hunting, getting together with friends, and spending time with his family. He loved sharing his faith in Jesus Christ with others. He once stated that there is no greater joy than to be used by God to lead someone to faith in Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Mike is survived by his wife Kristin, his daughter Jenna (8), two sons David (7) and John (4), his mother Karen and step-father Wally Etheridge (St. Charles), his brother Paul and sister-in-law Linda Sharp (Raymore, Mo), step-sister Lisa Etheridge, step-brother James Etheridge, two grandmothers Alta Sharp (Promise City, IA) and Mabel Van Meter (Queen City, Mo.), uncles and aunts Ben and Gloria Sharp (Cleveland, Mo.) and Gary and Carla Van Meter (St. Charles). Other surviving family members are Ransom and Ruth Tedrick, Kory and Toni Tedrick, Michael and Kendra King, Mary Burbes, John and Ann Tedrick, nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father Richard Sharp, July 6, 1985, and by his grandfathers Earnest Sharp, January, 1996, and Paul Van Meter, February, 2002. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Sharp Children Education Fund in care of Baue Funeral and Memorial Center, 3950 West Clay, St. Charles 63301.