Sharon L. Cawood (nee Balthrope), age 83, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on August 3, 2025. Sharon was born on September 16, 1941, in Bloomington, Illinois. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold (Eleanor) Balthrope and Esther (Ramert) Parrish. Sharon was married to David M. Cawood in December of 1988, reconnecting
after being high school sweethearts. She was the mother of Jill Taylor (Jeff) of Valparaiso and Paige McNulty-Brown (Joe) of Valparaiso. Grandmother to Abbi, Haley, and Grady Taylor of Valparaiso and Lucas and Logan McNulty-Brown of Valparaiso. Sharon graduated from Bloomington High School in Bloomington, Illinois, and attended Illinois State University.
Sharon worked for State Insurance Company, Porter County Co-Op, and Porter Starke Services, where she was the Director for the Porter County Substance Abuse Council for 20 years. She was dedicated to helping those with substance abuse and was a long-time
member of the County Red Ribbon Committee and the County Drunk Driving Task Force. Sharon also served on the board of Alice’s Halfway House for women in Porter County for many years. She also worked on the Walk to Recovery each year, which raised money for the 3 county halfway houses. Sharon helped with fundraisers as she served on the Board for Family House, which helped in the purchase of their current home. She was a member of the Delta Theta Tau Sorority, which supported many causes during
her involvement with it. Sharon was honored to be selected by The Times newspaper, “Women of Merit” for her work on drug and alcohol programs in Porter County.
In Sharon’s free time, she loved to spend time with her family and grandkids. She rarely missed a game of theirs and was always so
proud of their accomplishments. Sharon also loved spending time outside at the Dunes or gardening in her backyard. She was an avid reader, and often you could find her snuggled up with a good book on her porch. Sharon and her husband Dave loved to travel and enjoyed seeing the world together, and traveled to England, Italy, Mexico, Greece, Turkey, and Egypt. Even in her retirement, Sharon made time to volunteer at the local food pantry weekly and also at the homeless shelter. Sharon was a
giver, and she showed that throughout her actions in life. She made everything she touched a little brighter, funnier, and better. She will be missed but never forgotten. Sharon was a member of Christ Lutheran Church.
In place of flowers, tribute memorials can be made to Alice’s Halfway House for Women of Valparaiso (grapevine.org ), or the Dementia Society of America (www.dementiasociety.org/memorials).
