Sharon Eileen Coburn Obituary

Sharon Eileen Coburn, 81, of Columbia, MD, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 20, 2022, at Vantage Point Residences. Sharon was preceded in death by her parents Helen and Charles Roe, her sister Wanda Coriell, and her brother Wendell Roe.

Sharon is survived by Mark, her beloved husband of almost 60 years, their three sons, Jeffrey (Tammy) of Ellicott City, MD, Bradley (Julie) of Alexandria, VA, and Matthew (Julietta) of Mequon, WI, and seven adored grandchildren: Jordan, Nicholas, Peter, Caroline, Kendall, Robby, and Mitch. She is also survived by her siblings Trevelyn, Kenny, Jerry, and Carole Jean.

Sharon was a graduate of St. Joseph's College and earned her Masters at Johns Hopkins University. Her nursing career began in Portsmouth, OH, and expanded in responsibility and breadth, across nearly a dozen institutions, as her family grew and moved from Ohio, to the mid-Atlantic, to Indiana, and back to Maryland. She was tapped to help establish the nursing department at Howard County General Hospital, where she served in a variety of leadership positions for 24 years. She created the first Quality Assurance Program for the Hospital and represented the Hospital as President of the Maryland Chapter of Professional Standards Review Organization. Sharon was especially passionate about women's health and safety. She established and managed the Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) program which provided care to adult and child victims of sexual assault. This gritty and painful work stands as a crowning achievement to her career in service of others, and it was the medicine and service of which she was most proud.

Sharon loved her career, but even more so her family, her friends, her home, and her garden. She was a gifted and knowledgeable nurterer, both in vocation and avocation. Her care for her patients was mirrored by her care for her plants. She had a remarkably green thumb and could encourage any specimen to thrive. She created her own Eden and it was a marvel.

Music delighted Sharon and filled her with joy. She loved all types of music from rock to opera to country. She shared a birthday with Elvis, and as a young teenager dreamed of the day when he would gift her a car to celebrate their birthday. Play any song and she would know the lyrics and sing along.

As family matriarch to three generations, she led vacations, holidays, and traditions, including many beloved recipes, most especially "nanabananabread" - the best banana bread in the whole world. We have the recipe in the chef's handwriting, but hers will always be the best, as the secret ingredient was Nana's love.

Her love, her drive for excellence in all that she touched, and her gorgeous smile will be missed by all that knew her.

Friends may call at Witzke Funeral Home, 5555 Twin Knolls Road, Columbia, MD on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 , from 2 to 4 p.m and 6 to 8 p.m. Interment private.

In lieu of flowers, tribute donations can be made to the SAFE program, at howardhospitalfoundation.thankyou4caring.org in Sharon Coburns's name.