Sharon Lee Bryan Montgomery
September17, 1942 – July 22, 2019
Sharon Lee Campbell Bryan Montgomery, 76, died peacefully at the Lexington Medical Center, surrounded by every doctor employed there because she knew them all by name, where they went to school and what they had for dinner as she was their patient at some point in her lifetime.
She lived 1,000 years in the 76 that she was blessed with by the Lord.
Sharon was the daughter of the late Cecil and David C. Bryan Jr. and the late Robert Burns Campbell, who died during the Battle of the Bulge when Sharon was just two years old.
A graduate of Brookland Cayce High School, she spent her first two years of college at Columbia College. She met and married her lifelong partner in crime, Robert Edward Montgomery (Bob Ed), who wooed her with his rugged good looks and dress blue uniform. He convinced her to marry and run away with him to Memphis State University in Memphis where they finished school, settled down and had three of the finest children that any mother could have.
Her oldest and perfect child, Elisa Montgomery Edwards, her only son, Bryan Edward Montgomery (Brooke), and her third child that, well, we were taught if you can’t say something nice – don’t say it at all – Mary Cecil Moyers (Jay).
Sharon and Bob Ed called West Tennessee home and found Tipton County to be a great place to raise their children. Sharon became the state coordinator of AISE – American Intercultural Exchange Student Program in the early ‘80s. She was convinced that her children needed some culture and what better way than to bring exchange students from all over the world to live in her community.
Sharon and Bob Ed were a host family to students who became children of their own. She enjoyed traveling the world visiting her children in Sweden, France, Spain, Great Britain and many other countries.
Sharon served as a Girl Scout leader for her daughters and her favorite motto was “Always leave a place and person better than when you found them.” She was always surrounded by great friends who would participate in all of her shenanigans (Camille, Claire, Judy, Dana, Melanie, Mary and Diane were just a few).
Sharon was so mean to her children that she made them eat vegetables and home-cooked meals while other kids got to eat fast food, drink Cokes and eat candy. She was worse than a prison warden and insisted on knowing where her kids were at all times and who they were with. She gave her children a curfew and always stated that “nothing good ever happens after midnight.” She broke all the child labor laws and made her children wash the dishes, clean the house and mow the lawn. She was a “manners police” and insisted that her kids said “please” and “thank you.” Table manners were extremely important because to her, you never knew when they would come in handy having dinner with the Queen of England or the president of the United States.
She made her children look at people right in the eye and shake their hands with a firm handshake. Instead of staying at home playing with the coveted video games, her children were forced to work in the community and volunteer. She made her children attend church every Sunday and Wednesday night and they were forced to endure Vacation Bible School and church retreats at Nacome.
Friends of her children couldn’t believe the stories of her “meanness” and they wanted to experience the wrath of Sharon for themselves. Her house was home to all the neighborhood children who would prefer her scolding to the ones of their own parents (Bill, Scott, Robin, John, Amanda, Elizabeth).
Sharon always had a broom in her hand. Everyone thought it was because she like to keep a tidy home, but her kids were convinced that she flew around on her broom at night thinking of other ways to torture her children. Her life lessons were immeasurable and her wisdom invaluable. Her children will ever be grateful that they had the meanest mother in the world.
In addition to her husband of 57 years and children, Sharon leaves behind her brother, David C. Bryan III, her grandchildren, Ethan Bryan Montgomery, Emily Cecile Edwards, Brandon Montgomery Edwards, Jeremy Moyers, Montgomery Campbell Moyers, Madeline Cecil Moyers and Matthew Sawyer Montgomery, her nieces and nephews, her other children around the world, and her caretaker and friend, Karen Bontrager.
A celebration of life for Sharon took place on Friday, July 26 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C. The family received visitors from 10-11 a.m. with a service following at 11 a.m. Memorials can be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church -Endowment Fund, 1715 Broad River Road, Columbia, S.C. 29212. Sharon has asked that her cremains be sprinkled all over the world so … to all of her exchange students (Jonas, Matt, Loic, Carlos, David, Gunner) – expect to receive Sharon in a package in the mail … very soon!
