Charlotte, NC - Sharon Louise Brown Valente, 78, died Saturday December 26, 2020 at the Autumn Care Rehabilitation Center in Cornelius Woods, NC.

She was born March 28, 1942 in Eden, VT a daughter of Richard and Margaret (Deuso) Brown. Sharon attended Windsor High School, Class of 1960. She was an avid skier, living in Brownsville, Vermont at the base of Mount Ascutney. Sharon shared her love of skiing with her children and enjoyed many years on Okemo, Pico and Killington.

Sharon spent most of her working career as a restaurateur, including as owner of the Fairmont and Casa Bianca in Rutland, VT and manager of Smuggler's Cove on Block Island, RI.  She also managed Bill's Tree Service of Santa Barabara, Californian and owned her own real estate company, Peak Season Real Estate.

During Sharon's time of living on campus at St. Paul's School in Concord, NH, she became an avid contract bridge player and successfully competed in numerous local bridge tournaments. She also loved tennis and was a member of the Rutland Tennis Club.   Later in life, Sharon became a Master Gardener and lover of the environment through her work at Bill's Tree Care in Santa Barbara, California. Sharon thoroughly enjoyed traveling and living in various locales across the United States to include Block Island, R.I., San Diego, Monterey and Santa Barbara, California, Tierra Verde and Naples, Florida and in Barcelona, Spain. At each of those stops in her life, she took time to learn the flora and fauna of the locale and became a member of local groups supporting nature and its inhabitants such as the San Diego Zoo and the Botanical Gardens of Naples, Florida. Sharon was always in search of the perfect food dish for her family and enjoyed working with various chefs from Vermont to California to Florida, learning from each how to properly prepare their specialties for use at home.

Sharon loved interior decorating and crafting.  She enjoyed hooking and gifting rugs, making wreaths and took great pride in decorating her beautiful homes throughout the years.  She loved going to Holiday craft fairs to find unique and wonderful gifts for her family and friends.

Beloved Matriarch and world class Mimi, her only grandchild and "little buddy" was very important to her. Sharon devoted much of her time and attention to Julieta, ensuring she would be a well mannered and beautiful little lady. They enjoyed going out for froyo, shopping and creating memories together.

Sharon is survived by her husband of 58 years, Joseph B. Valente Sr.; daughter Jill Elizabeth Valente of Charlotte, NC; son Joseph B. Valente Jr. of Brownsville, Vermont and her one and only lovely granddaughter, JT Julieta Elizabeth Valente of Charlotte, NC. She is also survived by sister-in-law, Meme Rayta of Rutland, Vermont and two sisters, Sherry Barbour of Brownsville, Vermont; Sheila Gadola of Hartford, CT., and many nieces, nephews and their beautiful children.

She is predeceased by her parents Richard and Margaret Brown of Brownsville, Vermont and her youngest sister, Sally Cowdrey of Hartland, Vermont.

A funeral service will be held later in the spring at the Brownsville Community Methodist Church in West Windsor, VT.  Condolences to her family may be mad in an online guestbook at knightfuneralhomes.com.