Overland Park, KS: Sharon Sue Greenwood Jones, 85, passed away on January 4, 2026 in Overland Park, Kansas after a long struggle with vascular dementia. She was born on December 13, 1940, in Leon, Iowa to Raymond Roy & Mona “Ruth” Fitzgerald Greenwood.
Sharon married Gay D. Jones, Jr. on December 20, 1964, at Community Christian Church in Kansas City, MO. She is survived by two sons—Carey (Chip) Jones of Prairie Village, Kansas and Trevor Jones of Long Beach, California, two siblings Linda (Overland Park, KS) and Bill (Leon, IA), as well as numerous family members in Kansas and Iowa with whom she was close.
Sharon spent her early years on the Greenwood Farmstead in Akron, Harrison County, Missouri. She attended the Akron Rural School and when it closed after her 7th Grade, she attended Cainsville R-1 from where she graduated in 1958. Her college years (1958-1962) were spent at Northwest Missouri State College earning a BS Degree in Elementary Education. She earned her Master Degree in Special Education from the University of Kansas in 1982.
Sharon began her professional career as a Kindergarten teacher in the North Kansas City School System. In later years, Sharon taught at the Gillis Home for Boys in Kansas City, Missouri. Lastly, she worked as a real estate agent for several years.
Sharon was multi-skilled and talented, with a wide range of interests. Music was a significant part of her life—she sang and played the piano, and also played the trombone during her high school years. She was especially pleased that her son Chip played the baritone and Trevor took up the violin in elementary school, sharing her enthusiasm for music with her children. In addition to her musical abilities, Sharon attended ballet classes at Kansas City Ballet, further demonstrating her diverse talents and appreciation for the arts. Sharon was a superb seamstress – the red suit that she made in her high school Home Ec class was infamous. Later, she created evening gowns and chic dresses, and she also sold fabrics out of her home while developing numerous friendships with wonderful people involved in the same hobby. Her creativity evolved in later years as she handmade boutique-style Christmas stockings and pillows.
Sharon was a gifted gardener with peonies being her favorite. She assembled robust gardening notebooks with plant information and growing tips for her sons to use in their yards. She documented over 200 varieties of hostas in a notebook for her sister. She loved to read about plants and was truly happy when she was outside gardening the one of five acres around her home. Sharon was also a sports fanatic! We knew not to bother her when her favorite team was playing. She and Gay were early holders of season tickets for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. As for collegiate sports – it was KU all the way. She was on pins and needles during every game. One of her last sports outings was to watch her great niece, Cami, play high school basketball at Shawnee Mission East.
Sharon was a member of the Country Club Christian Church and a former member of the Letha Bash Circle serving in many roles including chair of the International Peace Scholarship Fund for a term. In her early years, she taught Sunday School and Bible School at the Akron Methodist Church in northern Missouri. In later years, she belonged to a PTO group that volunteered to bake food for people.
Sharon was a lover of Shelties (Shetland Sheepdogs), and throughout her life had 8 beautiful Shelties. Her last Sheltie, Biscuit, now lives with her son, Chip, but came to visit her often in Morningside Place.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, January 9 at Roberson Funeral Home, Bethany, MO. Burial will follow in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Blythedale, MO. The family will receive friends from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to a favorite charity in memory of Sharon in care of Roberson Funeral Home, P.O. Box 46, Bethany, MO 64424. Online condolences may be left at www.robersonfuneralhome.com.
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