Joyce Elaine "Herring" Sharp

Joyce Elaine (Herring) Sharp, affectionately known as “Mom,” was born in Columbus, Ohio, on July 7, 1934, and passed away peacefully at home on March 7, 2026, at the age of 91. The third of six children born to James C. Herring and Nellie Kate Thompson-Herring, she grew up in Poindexter Village, one of the first families to settle there when she was four. She graduated from East High School in 1952, attended The Ohio State University, and married Hubert (Robert) Sharp, Jr. on April 15, 1955. Together they raised three children—Glenda, Robert, and Ronda—who remained the heart of her world.

Joyce’s bright smile and infectious laugh endeared her to everyone she met. A devoted grandmother, she was deeply involved in her grandchildren’s lives, handling school pick-ups and drop-offs, attending games and graduations, and keeping the cherished tradition of weekly Sunday dinners alive. Her kitchen was a place of warmth and abundance; she loved to cook, grill, and bake, and was famous for her yeast rolls, pound cake, banana pudding, and hearty meals that greeted her family each day. She also enjoyed weekly grocery shopping trips with her daughters and grandchildren, which she fondly called “Kroger-ing.” An avid gardener with a legendary green thumb, she tended a beautiful rose garden that included a bush transplanted from her mother’s home and spent many happy hours at Oakland Nursery selecting new plants.

Her professional life reflected a lifelong commitment to service and community. Joyce began her career with the Robert and Mary Lazarus family before working with the Model Cities Program from 1966 to 1974, where she helped bring the WIC program to Columbus families and had the honor of meeting President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1974 she joined the Columbus Police Department, becoming one of the first African American women to serve as an Emergency Communications Technician, or 911 dispatcher. For twenty years she handled crisis calls with calm professionalism and compassion, earning the deep respect of her colleagues. Even in retirement she remained connected to her police family, often listening to her scanner and being recognized by officers around the city. Later, she worked in food service for Columbus City Schools in the buildings where her grandchildren attended and took seasonal employment with the Ohio Department of Taxation, always choosing to stay active and close to family.

Joyce was the proud matriarch of five living generations. She is survived by her children Glenda, Robert, and Ronda Sharp of Columbus; her sisters Patricia Ross-Smith and Marshia Kate Herring; her grandchildren Preston, Renata, Robert Dean, Kasual, Shanell, Shannon, and Tyler; nine great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and many beloved sisters-in-law, special friends, and members of her cherished “Old Lady Gang.” Her strength, determination, wit, and boundless love for family will live on in all who were fortunate enough to know and love her.