Sharon “Sheb” Rae Gentry

Sharon Rae Gentry, 79, of Topeka passed away on Monday, January 10th 2022 at Lexington Park Rehabilitation Center. A Memorial service and Celebration will be held at a later date.

Sharon was born Oct 30, 1942, in Topeka, Kansas. Her birth name was Rosemary Wilkinson. She was later adopted by Thomas and Margaret (Sayler) Stuart, and was given the name of Sharon Rae Stuart. While still a child, tragedy struck her family when her Father Thomas passed away. Her Mother married a military man that took them to California, Colorado, and eventually back to Topeka where Sharon and her Mother moved in with her Grandparents. Sharon spent most of her youth in the Topeka area. She went to grade school at Clay Elementary, Crane Junior High and later she attended Topeka High School.

Sharon met the man that would love her and her children the rest of their days. She met Arthur Barry Gentry on the steps of their church, and after a brief courtship they were married at the same church, Grace Cathedral in Topeka. Barry adopted her two little boys from a previous marriage Timothy and Thomas and they went on to have two more boys Steven and Douglas, and eventually they had a total of five children with the later adoption of their now daughter Rhami (Dechand) (Gentry) Reutzel. To Sharon, Love ran far deeper than blood, and she showed it every day.

Sharon had a long career with Gage Center Bowl where she met life long friends and on occasion she played the role of surrogate mother to the children of the bowling alley. For 52 years Sharon and Barry were a regular fixture to the Hexagon League at Gage Center on Friday nights. All of us kids knew it was Friday night when Mom broke out her Estee Lauder Cinnabar Perfume.

Sharon was a dedicated Mother, Grandmother & Great Grandmother. She loved every second she spent with her Grand-babies over the years. She would try never miss their birthdays, school plays and anything else, as long as her Grandchildren were in it, she would be there with Grandpa in tow.

Sharon is survived by her children, Timothy (Brenda) Gentry, of Scranton, Steven (Marcy) Gentry, of Topeka, Douglas (Kelly) Gentry, of Topeka, and Rhami (Shelby) Reutzel, of Hoyt.

She is preceded in death by her parents Thomas Stuart & Mother Margaret Stuart, her husband, Arthur Barry Gentry, and Son, Thomas Gentry.