Obituary Robert (Bob) L. Sharp

Jan 15, 2014

Robert (Bob) L. Sharp, a long-time resident of Carson City, died at his home overlooking Lake Tahoe on Wednesday, January 15th, having celebrated his 91st birthday last November 29th. He worked for the Nevada State Highway Department from 1946 until he retired in 1971. Bob Sharp was head of highway design in the 1960s and 1970s when Interstate 80 was built across Nevada, and he was responsible for overseeing some highway innovations, among them the idea of splitting apart the opposing lanes on the interstate to better fit Nevada’s hill and narrow valley typography; he also supported elevating I-80 over the Sparks Nugget so that the casino was not separated from its parking lot, a decision that so far has generated about four decades of lease income for the state. Bob was born November 29th 1922 in Elko, NV, the youngest of five brothers and one sister who grew up in Wells NV during the Great Depression. All but one of whom has preceded him in death. His next oldest brother, Philip Sharpe resides in Great Falls, VA. Bob was a veteran of WWII, having served with the Navy, primarily at Guadalcanal. He was active in the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, serving as president and in other capacities for both the Carson City and Nevada State chapters. He was also a volunteer member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, patrolling Lake Tahoe and teaching boat safety and sailing classes. He was active in the Douglas County Senior Center at Zephyr Cove, serving as volunteer van driver and newsletter editor. Bob and his wife Ruth recently celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary. During their many years together they were constant companions. They skied, both downhill and x-country, and snow-shoed in the winter. In the summer they bicycled, hiked and back-packed. They loved to travel and saw over 46 countries. Survivors include his widow, Ruth Sharp of Zephyr Heights, NV; daughters, Roberta Gerber of Reno and Janet (Richard) Silsby of Amelia, VA; a son, Dr. Gerald Sharp of Bethesda, MD; seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 1st at 2 p.m. Walton’s Chapel of the Valley, 1281 North Roop St., Carson City. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory of Robert L. Sharp to the Alzheimer’s Association: http://www.alz.org or call 1-800-272-3900.