Sharon Marie Novak, passed away at her home in Topeka, Kansas on September 12, 2010. She was 57 years old.
Sharon was born in Hammond, Indiana to June and Tom Pemberton. She was raised in Denver, Colorado with her two younger sisters, Debra and Wendy.
Sharon attended the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado from 1971 to 1975. She graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in Math. She student taught at the fifth grade level at Knight Elementary School in Denver, Colorado during the spring of 1975.
She married Bob Novak on October 8,1976, and her first son, Robert, was born in 1978. She had two other children, James in 1981, and Steven was born in 1984.
She was very dedicated to her educational career and took graduate level courses at the University of Southern Colorado in Pueblo. She took graduate courses at Washburn University in Advanced Child Psychology and Curriculum Development and Instruction and earned an M.A.Education in 2009.
She gained employment in 2003 in the Topeka Public Schools as a Title I math teacher. Since that time, she has worked at two elementary schools, Shaner and McClure in Topeka, Kansas. She worked with math students in small groups of six to ten students and provided teachers with math instruction. She also served as a conduit between district math liasons and the staffs of both schools.
Sharon was a prolific artist, specializing in watercolor, oil, and acrylic mediums. She often incorporated artwork into her math curriculum.
She and her husband Bob are parishioners of Christ the King Church in Topeka.
A visitation and memorial service will be held Thursday, September 16 at Dove Cremation & Funeral Service starting at 10am, with a rosary service followed by a scripture reading by Fr. Peter O'Sullivan. Friends and family are invited to Christ the King reception hall on 5973 SW 25th Street, after the service. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Midland Hospice Care, 200 SW Frazier Circle, Topeka, Kansas 66606.