Sharon Hennelly Baker's Obituary
Sharon Hennelly Baker was an amazing mother, wife, sister, aunt, Nana, friend, a brilliant nurse, and she was pure sunshine in human form. She passed peacefully into eternal rest on February 6, 2026, after facing a cascade of health challenges that began last fall.
On the day she passed, she was surrounded by a vast constellation of friends and family, even receiving a final farewell from her beloved Boxer, Porter.
Sharon was sweet, kind-hearted, smart and hilarious – always meeting funny with a cackle, always greeting her loved ones with a “Hey, Baby” in her soft, southern lilt.
She was a Daddy’s girl and a true believer in Jesus and the Christian faith. She loved a good gin and tonic (and Kir Royale, Margarita, Cosmo…) and playing poker with her friends, and she made the best sweet potatoes and key lime pie on God’s green earth. She exalted in the almighty rock ‘n’ roll power of the Rolling Stones and was fortunate enough to see them live in 2005 with her sister, daughter, and niece, Anne – a concert whose memory still burns bright.
Apart from her human family, dogs were one of the great loves of Sharon’s life – Boxers in particular. Starting with Ginger the family Boxer, a joyous parade of them followed her throughout every chapter of her story: Mandy, Lizzie Borden, Magic, Hunter, Heidi, Izzy, and Porter, along with a menagerie of other beloved dogs and granddogs.
Born in Houston, Texas, on May 21, 1949, Sharon attended Bellaire High School, and graduated from nursing school at Houston Baptist University.
She completed her nursing residency at Charity Hospital of New Orleans, and worked as a cardiac cath lab nurse at St. Luke’s in Houston. She moved to North Texas in 1981, where she worked for Children’s Hospital Dallas, serving in PICU, House Supervisor, Infection Control and as Director over recovery.
It was there that she saw Tom Baker walking past an elevator as the doors closed, and she promptly asked a friend who he was. He also worked at Children’s as an engineer and was already nursing a crush on her that never waned. Unbeknownst to the other, they arranged to sit next to each other on a group trip to the horse races and were married quickly after that – February 11, 1984.
Sharon and Tom would go on to raise their only child, their cherished Katie. Recently, in a moment of reflection, she referred to Katie as “my world.” The role of being a mother fulfilled her life’s greatest dream, and she treasured the bond they shared which was one of deep friendship and unwavering love.
In 1994, after being given a 10% chance at survival, Sharon fought and won a death-defying battle with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Although her recovery was fueled by a brilliant young Dr. Jivesh Sharma (and a sudden and perplexing appetite for tomato sandwiches and strawberry milkshakes), she found her force of will – her true reason for living – in Katie.
After Sharon fiercely and miraculously recovered, she went on to work for Dr. Scott Zashin, then became a cardiac research coordinator at UT Southwestern for Dr. James de Lemos and Dr. Darren McGuire, a role which she called one of her most favorite jobs.
After her retirement from the nursing profession, she found another career in real estate, joining forces with Tom as a realtor at Coldwell Banker Frisco, and then alongside her wonderful friends on the Jane Yeatman Team at Ebby Halliday Frisco.
In 2018, she was able to take the trip of a lifetime with Tom, Katie, and Lita when they visited her beloved ancestral homeland in Ireland, followed by a long weekend in Paris.
Her whole family, notably her two grandsons, Reid Thomas and Roman Banks, brought her great joy and laughter, and she adored them beyond measure. She often said her greatest title was being “Nana” to the world’s most perfect little boys, and many of her happiest moments came from the boundless joy these two brought her.
Sharon was preceded in death by her father and mother, Robert Duane Hennelly and Jessie Parish Hennelly; sister and brother-in-law Patricia Hennelly Malone and Darrel Malone.
She is survived and dearly missed by her husband, Thomas Gene Baker, their daughter, Katie Luna-Baker and her wife, Lita Luna-Baker; brother, Duane Hennelly and his wife Linda; sister-in-law, Nedra Hennelly; her nieces and nephews, Anne Malone and her wife Heather Svokos; Alyshia Hennelly and partner Joey Pickens; Robert Hennelly; Tate Hennelly and his partner Jennifer Giovanetti; grandsons Reid Thomas and Roman Banks Luna-Baker; and grandniece and grandnephew, Hannah and Micah Wilson; along with numerous brother and sisters-in-law, including Steve and Barbara Baker; nieces and nephews Tom Baker and his wife Tiffany, Guinevere Holt and her husband Philip, Rachael Collins and husband Jeff, and Samantha Baker.
Sharon turned ordinary moments into pure happiness and light, the beauty of her kind spirit remains deeply woven into those who loved her. She lived with a sweetness that time cannot erase, and we hope our memories of her can only begin to help fill this deep hole in our hearts over time. Her beautiful life was a blessing, her love a shelter, and her memory a sweet treasure.
A celebration of life service will be held in her honor at 2 p.m., Friday, Feb. 20, at Restland Memorial Chapel, 13005 Greenville Ave, Dallas, Texas, 75243.
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