Sharon Wilhelm

Sharon Baker Wilhelm, a fifth-generation Texan and resident of Kennedale, Texas passed away at 72 years of age, early Tuesday morning, February 16, 2021.

Sharon was born in Bells, Texas on December 2, 1948 to C.K Fox and Mary Washburn Fox.  Mr. Fox passed when she was just a baby, so her mother’s second husband, Rex Baker adopted her and loved her as his own, until his untimely passing when she was only nine.  She spent portions of her youth in Bells, Fort Stockton, and Waskom, Texas until her family settled in Dallas, where she graduated from Adamson High School in 1967. She was married for 19 years to Lattie R. DeBarr. The marriage resulted in one of the greatest loves of her life, her daughter Michelle, who she viewed as a gift from God.

Sharon was a sharp and dedicated worker who spent most of her career with two companies:  Standard Manufacturing Company and Parker University (formerly Parker College of Chiropractic). At Standard, she rose from being a young clerk in Shipping/Receiving to the level of Buyer in Procurement. At Parker, she was the Offsite Clinic Business Manager, a job she thoroughly enjoyed as it drew upon her abundant people skills. She retired from Parker in 2000.

On June 2, 1990, Sharon married Mike Wilhelm, with whom she enjoyed a beautiful life, until her passing almost 31 years later. They settled in Kennedale and were active members of Tate Springs Baptist Church in Arlington, TX.

After a severe bout with cancer in 2000, she was considered cured in 2005. Though she continued to endure repercussions from the intensity of the treatments that saved and extended her life, she considered it a miracle she lived to see the birth of her granddaughters, who knew her as Nana, and to share in the milestones and joyful events of their childhood and young adult lives. She lavished upon them the same immense and unbounded love as she did her daughter, and her spirit was immediately lifted whenever they were near. From baking, gardening, sewing lessons, special lunch dates, picnics in the yard, button-collecting, fishing in the Kennedale pond, and dance parties, she created special memories that will last them a lifetime.

Sharon's interests and priorities included God, family, friends, reading, creating a beautiful home and caring meticulously for her yard and plants. The influence of her grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles was paramount in the way she approached life.  She had a deep and perceptive mind and a huge heart. No one in the family suffered or went without if she could help it.  She was active in sharing her time and resources with a number local and national charities.  She so enjoyed her volunteering for several after-school programs for latch-key kids.  She possessed a strong empathy and sympathy for the children.

Sharon was preceded in death by her father and adopted father, her grandparents, Lonnie and Veta Washburn of Bells, mother Mary Belle Harper of Dallas, and brother Richard Baker of Bonham, Texas.

She is survived by her husband Mike Wilhelm; her daughter Michelle DeBarr Barclay and husband Lance Eric Barclay, along with her two granddaughters Emma Kaitlyn Barclay and Paige Ella Barclay of Dallas; her sister Kathleen Baker Lohr and husband Richard Lohr of Dallas; her sister Lisa Harper Stubbs of Midlothian, and brother Mike Harper and wife Vangie Harper of San Antonio; along with a number of nieces, nephews and a passel of cousins whom she adored.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to either Tate Springs Baptist Church as a general gift in her honor or to Metroplex Women’s Clinic of Arlington, Texas.