On July 15, 2003, James "Jay" Sharp, died at his home in Boston, MA. Jay was born on February 9, 1970, in Gordon, Nebraska.

In 1976 Jay and his family moved to Rapid City, SD. He graduated with honors from Stevens High School in 1988. He earned a BS in Physics from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion in 1992. He received his MS in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University in 1994. He then moved to Ann Arbor, MI, and worked as a design engineer for the automotive industry. In 2001 he returned to Boston to work for a mathematics software company.

A lifelong musician, Jay played cello for the Rapid City Symphony and the Sioux City Symphony Orchestras.

He is survived by his parents, Walt and Mary Ellen Sharp of Gordon, NE; three brothers and one sister, Larry Sharp and his wife Stephanie of Jefferson City, MO, Kathleen Wright and her husband Tim of Albuquerque, NM, Jeremy Sharp and his wife Megan of Wahoo, NE, and Edward Sharp of Gordon, NE, grandmother Lula Hodges of Marshall, MN; and friends around the world. He will be greatly missed.

Graveside memorial services will be held at 2:00 pm on July 22, 2003, at Pine Lawn Cemetery, in Rapid City, SD, with Bill Cicmanec officiating. A memorial mass to celebrate his life will be held on Wednesday July 23, 2003, at 10:OOam at St. Leo's Catholic Church, in Gordon, NE, with Father Tim Stoner and Father Bob Karnish officiating.

Jay's family has established a memorial fund to benefit the Rapid City School Orchestra program and donations may be sent to Rapid City Public School Foundation, PO Box 7733, Rapid City, SD, 57709.

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