Sharon Anne Pickett Maxwell's Obituary
An endearing and respected woman of God, Sharon Anne Pickett Maxwell went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on August 10, 2022. Coping with a three-year ovarian cancer challenge, she displayed grace throughout her illness, colored with gratitude for this earthly life God gave to her. She and Steve, her beloved husband of 40 years, fought her disease with a strong, inner strength shaped by their deep trust and faith in God.
Sharon is known for promptness and proficiency. A funny story told by her family may explain where these qualities sprang. Her parents, Ed and Gladys Pickett, lived in Austin where Ed attended the University of Texas. Trying to swat a pesky insect one night while they lay in bed, he accidentally fell on his eight months pregnant wife, causing her to go promptly into early labor and proficiently delivering Sharon on October 15, 1955, the first of four children. Promptness and proficiency never left their first child, except maybe when she couldn’t turn down the neighbors’, or her Arizona grandparents’, constant ice-cream treats as their first and spoiled grandchild. Those treats made her chubby, if only for a short time.
She spent her early years in Albuquerque, NM and Window Rock, AZ, where her dad worked for a national CPA firm and later with the Navajo Indian Reservation. Afterwards, the family moved to Dallas. At Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church, Sharon placed her faith in Jesus Christ as her Savior and was baptized. Sharon, as a youth, attended Northlake Baptist Church.
She graduated from Lake Highlands High School in 1973. After completing an associate degree at Richland College, she finished at the University of Texas, Austin in 1978 with a BS degree in Geological Studies (“Hook’em Horns”). After graduation, she began a career in Dallas as a geologist with Placid Oil and Alto Energy in oil and gas exploration.
As a young professional, she was involved in Lakeside Baptist Church’s singles’ ministry, attending a National Christian Single’s Conference in Glorieta, NM. During one singles’ conference on Labor Day weekend 1981 called “Be My Friend,” she met Steve Maxwell, a single from Monroe, LA while playing a get-acquainted game. Her good quality of being proficient kicked in. She organized the group of 6-8 singles including Steve and his friends. To play the game, they all had to share their impressions of one another, giving out “warm fuzzies”. Steve said he noticed Sharon’s sparkling eyes—well, the rest is history. They were married in 1982 in the sanctuary of the former Lakeside Baptist (now Lakepointe Church, White Rock campus).
You may read the full story of their romance and marriage at https//lakehighlands.advocatemag.com/2022/01/31/the-maxwells/. After marriage, they moved to Monroe, LA, where she worked with Relco Exploration while pursuing a master’s degree at Northeast Louisiana University. They both served at Victory Baptist Church, Monroe, LA; Steve as the music director, and both working with the youth.
Moving back to Dallas, their family became complete in 1987 when they adopted Nathan David from Baylor Hospital, Dallas. (Sharon would want you to know the special meaning of their son’s name: Nathan means “Gift of God” and David means “Beloved” in Hebrew.) Soon after Nathan’s birth she gave up her geology career to stay home with him and open a home day care service. She would later join the preschool ministry staff at First Baptist Dallas.
The family has served every church they have attended. Steve, a CPA, uses his musical gifts to serve Christ as a worship minister. Sharon used her proficient organizational skills to work alongside him. They served together at Dallas’ Sunny Glen Baptist Church, Ferguson Road Baptist Church, and Park Central Baptist Church, besides the churches mentioned earlier. She had a passion for both music and children’s ministries, being involved in the adult choir programs and the children’s choir, missions, and Bible study ministries.
Among Sharon’s volunteer and professional achievements stand some that will be a legacy to her for years to come. At the time of her death, she was the Director of Development in the Advancement Department of Criswell College, and previously was their Registrar. She was one of the founding members of Texas Baptists’ Singing Women of Texas North Central Chapter; program coordinator of the local Stonecroft Ministries Christian Women’s Club; the Executive Assistant to the Executive Pastor, Walter Guillaume, at Dallas’ First Baptist Church, during that church’s worship center’s renovation; and worked for June Hunt of Hope for Heart Ministries and Dr. Bob Reccord.
During these last three years, defined by her cancer diagnosis with its cruel obstacle courses accented by five different chemotherapy treatments, Sharon is remembered MORE for her commitment to Christ, her following His love for mankind, and her willingness to forgive and be a friend no matter what one had done. From the outset, she has given glory to God because of the hope and assurance of life beyond this world that comes from faith in His promises of eternal life.
She is preceded in death by her mother, Mrs. Gladys Pickett, her grandparents, and in-laws, LV and Nettie Maxwell.
Loved ones who already miss her are her sweetheart, Steve Maxwell; their son, Nathan David Maxwell; their grandchildren, Jacob Stone and Taylor Maxwell; her father, Mr. Ed Pickett; and her siblings, Janet Pickett, Mark Pickett (spouse Barbara), and Debbie Pickett Smith (spouse David Smith); her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Bryan and Brenda (Maxwell) Milton; cousins, niece and nephews and their families.
Special thanks are given to her hospice nurse, Lee Poole, of Three Oaks Hospice; the medical providers at Texas Oncology and UTSW; Asako Fertitta for all the meals she has provided the past 2 ½ years; and to members of the Mediterranean Women’s Club for all their meals.
Please consider a donation to any of these organizations in memory of Sharon:
Lakepointe Church, 701 E. I-30, Rockwall, TX 75087;
Criswell College, 4010 Gaston Ave., Dallas, TX 75246;
KCBI Radio, 750 N. St. Paul Street, Suite 1050, Dallas, TX 75201;
or
NOCC (National Ovarian Cancer Coalition), 12221 Merit Dr., Ste 1950, Dallas, TX 75251.
For those unable to attend, the service will be LiveStreamed at: https://youtu.be/CNhJErDVpZI.
Funeral arrangements for name have been faithfully entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Cemetery, which is located at 13005 Greenville Avenue, at the intersection of Restland Road, Dallas, Texas 75243, and can be reached at (972) 238-7111.
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