Sharon Hillebrandt

Sharon Bennett Harrison Hillebrandt Sharon J. Bennett was born the second child of William and Josephine (Greenfield) Bennett, born on April 11, 1937, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Growing up they moved to several areas in Michigan, and for a short time, Washington state. She married William Harrison in 1953. They were the parents of four children: Sally, Victoria, Darla and William. She was a successful beautician and owned, along with her husband, the Harrison House Salons in Marshall and Urbandale, Michigan. She moved to Lantana, Florida and became a real estate agent. She and her husband eventually divorced in 1988. She re-married in 1996 to Gerald Hillebrandt, who died in 1999. In 2005 Sharon retired to Paisley, Florida. Sharon’s life was full of adventure, travel and exploration. Her idea of fun was canoeing in the middle of winter, camping in the snow, and training with her children for a two-week backpacking trip to Isle Royal by carrying cast iron skillets in backpacks. She obtained her Captain’s license in order to take her family on a sailing trip through various deserted islands in the Andros chain of the Bahamas. She never hesitated to load up the car and go, whether to pop off to the beach or start a thousand-mile trip. When traveling she always wanted to go see what was down “that” road — and she would. She loved to stop and read every historical sign that was passed (well, they were never passed until they were read). She was a true adrenaline ‘junkie,’ loving the fastest and scariest of rides — scary to her children at least, but never fast enough for her. She was a woman that, in her 70s, went para-sailing one week in Florida and a few weeks later was zip-lining on one of the longest and fastest lines in Boulder City, Nevada. She was never about the destination, but what she would discover on the way. Sharon had a love of genealogy and was a lifelong member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Seminole Chapter. In 1998 she was elected to various positions within the DAR: National Representative - VAVS National Advisory Committee, National Vice Chair - DAR Service for Veterans, State Chairman - Service for Veteran-Patients, and Chapter Chaplain. She also helped run the Veteran’s Thrift Store and spent a lot of time working with veterans at the VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. In 2000 she became the Chapter Regent. In 2001 she became the National Chair - DAR Service for Veterans. From 2004-2007 she was the Advisor for the DAR Service for Veterans. In 2004 she was named a Chapter Honorary Regent of the Seminole Chapter. She was also a founding member of the DAR Heritage Club. Sharon was involved for several years with the Republican Party. She spent many hours making phone calls to get people to vote, no matter the party. She also spent a lot of time fundraising. After retiring to Paisley, Sharon joined the board of and frequently volunteered with the Trout Lake Nature Center in Eustis, Florida. She loved teaching the children that visited. She would find various flora and fauna for the children’s touch table so they could obtain a better appreciation for them. She knew every plant, animal and insect on the property and loved teaching about them all. She was always excited to find something new, and she was involved with many of the outside activities and fundraisers. She would take her grandchildren and great-grandchildren there to help out, or even just into her backyard to see what critters they could find. She gained a deep appreciation for the nature around her — although she didn’t care much for the armadillos in her yard. When she first began showing serious signs of Alzheimer’s disease, she was taken into the home of her son William, his wife Amy and their family. When it seemed she might need to go to a nursing home for more advanced care, she was instead lovingly cared for in-home by her daughter Victoria, where she remained until she peacefully passed away on April 10, 2023. Sharon was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter Sally and her two sisters Roberta and Annette. She is survived by her children Victoria, Darla and William (Amy); her brother Jay (Joann) Bennett, her adopted brother Donald (Barbara) Bennett; her grandchildren Shannon, Sara, Ashley, Kirsten, Justin, Ron, Emily, Mellodi, Thomas, Christian, Delaney, Alexandria and Will; 15 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren, and several loved nieces and nephews. Visitation will be on Sunday, April 16 from 3 to 5 pm at Beyers Funeral Home (279 South Central Ave, Umatilla). The funeral will be held at Beyers Funeral Home on Monday, April 17, 2023 at 10:30 am. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. later that day at Glen Haven Memorial Park (2300 Temple Drive, Winter Park) where she will rest next to her husband Gerald Donations in her memory can be made to the University of Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center, 2101 Commonwealth Blvd, Ste. D, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 or the Trout Lake Nature Center, 520 East CR 44, Eustis, FL 32736-251.

Sharon Hillebrandt

April 11, 1937 - April 10, 2023