Zada Frances Sharp

Zada Mears Sharp, 101, formerly of Vega, Wildorado, and Bushland, Texas, passed away on October 19, 2026, at Oak Tree Assisted Living in New Braunfels, Texas.

Zada was born on April 18, 1925, in Littlefield, Texas. In 1941, she moved to Vega in Oldham County with her parents, Tom and Pearl Mears, her twin sister, Ada, and her brother, T.J. She graduated from Vega High School in 1943 and attended West Texas Teachers College, where she majored in physical education. Her first job was at the Vega Office of Price Administration, followed by a secretarial position at the ASARCO zinc smelter in Amarillo.

Zada played the violin and met her future husband, Sid Sharp, at a dance where he was playing guitar. They married in 1947 and built their life together farming and raising four children in Wildorado and Vega, Texas. Years later, they moved to Bushland, where they continued farming until retirement. They eventually left the farm and built a home in Bushland. Sid passed away in 2004, and in 2017, Zada moved to San Antonio to be closer to her daughters.

Throughout her life, Zada was deeply involved in her community. Her activities included family genealogy, 4-H, Oldham and Potter County Extension Clubs, the Wildorado PTA, Vega Order of the Eastern Star, serving as a precinct election officer, the Red Hat Ladies, the Khiva Oriental Band Ladies Group, and Khiva Shrine Daughters of the Nile. She was a 50-year member of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, receiving honors that included Extension Woman of the Year. In 2001, she was recognized with the Texas Treasure Award for her outstanding dedication and lifelong service to her community.

Zada's life was rooted in family, farming, and she tried to stay active. She participated in the “Walk Across Texas” exercise program, where she and Sid did much of their walking (and occasionally waltzing) on the field roads, checking the crops and irrigation. When her granddaughter and grandniece visited, Zada found a way to make this entertaining. She would lift the tires protecting the irrigation risers and watch the girls jump when mice ran out from underneath, with the dog chasing after them.

Her interests extended well beyond the farm. Zada devoted countless hours over the years to genealogy, tracking down historical records and piecing together her family’s lineage. Zada also made sure her family stayed connected to its roots. She would take her children to visit her father, Tom, while he worked on the Matador Ranch, formerly part of the XIT Ranch.

Zada had an unmistakable sense of humor that stayed with her throughout her life. At her 100th birthday party, someone told her she was the best-looking 100-year-old she had ever seen. Without missing a beat, Zada replied, “How many 100-year-olds do you know?”

She also loved watching and discussing sports, especially Dallas Cowboys football, with family and friends right up until her passing. During games, she was the best recliner football commentator around, often talking directly to the TV and telling the players and coaches exactly what they were doing wrong. Her quick wit, strong opinions, and love of the game made watching football with Zada an experience all its own.

Growing up with an agrarian way of life gave Zada a lifelong passion for growing and preparing food. Summers meant spending hours in vegetable gardens that seemed to get bigger with each move to another farm. She canned or froze as much as she could, filling countless jars of vegetables as if the family might go hungry without them. When she and Sid became involved with the Shrine, they hosted dances in one of their Quonset barns. When the corn was juicy and ripe, they would host corn-shucking gatherings and fill and freeze as many bags of corn kernels as they could.

During wheat and milo harvest, and later during corn silage harvest, she brought meals out to the fields for the family and farmhands. These were simple but meaningful parts of a life built around family, hard work, and caring for others.

Zada's long life was filled with family, friendships, community service, and countless memories made along the way. Whether she was tending her garden, researching family history, following her favorite sports, or sharing a laugh with those around her, she remained engaged with the people and things she loved.

Zada was preceded in death by her husband, Sidney Ray Sharp; her parents, Thomas Jefferson (Tom) and Mary Pearl (Shaw) Mears; her twin sister, Ada, and Ada's husband, Clinton Solbrig; her brother, T.J., and his wife, Zona (Hohenshelt) Mears; and her grandson, Shad Lee Sharp.

She is survived by her uncle, Zachary D. Shaw II, 100; her sons, Dr. Auddie (Janet) Sharp and Justin Sharp; her daughters, Regan Kim (Rodney) Smith and Lavon Denson and her partner, Mike Burnett; her grandchildren, Thomas (Tina) Denson, Conagher Denson, and Sundy Sharp; her great-grandson, Dax Sharp and numerous other loving cousins, nieces, and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made Khiva Shrine Patient Transportation Fund, P.O. Box 328, Amarillo TX 79105. Khiva provides transportation costs across the top 36 counties of Texas to hospitals for patients and family along with additional trips for continued care.

Visitation will be held at 5:00 to 7:00 pm, Thursday, October 29, 2026 at Cox-Rowley Funeral Home, 4180 Canyon Dr., Amarillo, TX 79109 . A private immediate family burial will take place. Arrangements are being handled by Cox-Rowley Funeral Directors.