Janet R. Rice Sharp
Janet R. Rice Sharp, 88, of Zelienople passed away Monday morning, Feb. 17, 2020, in Good Samaritan Hospice, Cabot.
Born Oct. 14, 1931, in Harmony, she was the daughter of the late Ray E. and Rose Szeles Rice.
Janet played the baritone horn in the Zelienople High School Band and was the head bugler in the Harmonettes Drum and Bugle Corps.
Janet's first job was in the kitchen at Emma's Farm Camp between her junior and senior year. After marriage, she worked at the Estey Organ Co., Resolite Corp. and the Leopold Co. She was a proofreader of technical documents when she retired from the Society of Automotive Engineers in 1994.
Janet's belief was “To love and be loved is the greatest joy on Earth.” Her life was rich in love for her family and friends, whom she offered comforting hugs, unfailing humor, and the willingness to share both the best and the worst of times.
She is survived by her husband, Merle Sharp; her daughter, Kathleen Chilleo; her sons, Donald and Michael McCleary; her grandson, James McCleary; her great-grandson, Aiden McCleary; her stepsister, Carol Zeidler; her step-daughters, Kim, Dawn, Tracy and Susan; and her step-grandchildren, Raven, Chelsea, Kori, Jordan, Zarian and Clara.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Donald McCleary in 1971; her son, Ron McCleary; her grandson, John Chilleo; and a brother, Ray Rice.
Janet's great-great-grandparents, Henry and Elizabeth Rice, were one of the five founding families of Harmony after the Harmonists left for Indiana.
SHARP — A celebration of life for Janet R. Rice Sharp, who died Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, will be held from noon until 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, at Hartmann's Water Hole, Harmony.Arrangements have been entrusted to A. Carl Kinsey-Ronald N. Volz Funeral Home, Zelienople.If desired, memorial donations may be made to the Food Cupboard, 557 Perry Highway, Harmony, PA 16037, or the Harmony Museum, P.O. Box 524, Harmony, PA 16037.Additional information may be obtained at www.kinsey-volzfuneralhome.com.
