Sharon Major

On November 25, 2021, Sharon Murov Major suddenly passed away, at home, of natural causes. She was born on February 21, 1948, in Ukiah, Calif. When four, she and her family moved to the “Gold country,” Sonora, Ca., which she adored. When she was ten, the family moved to Merced, Ca., which she didn’t adore. While at Merced, she was a cheerleader and played the clarinet in the school marching band. She attended the newly opened UC Santa Cruz before transferring to UCSB in 1968, where she received her B.A. in Social-Psychology.

In 1968, on a magical Fall Day outside of UBSB’s Campbell Hall, she met her future husband, Mike, who, when he regained his senses, realized he just met the woman he had been looking for his entire life. They were Married in July 1969. Sharon and Mike started a family in 1972 when they adopted two infant children: a son, Solomon, and their daughter, Graham.

Sharon was an amazing woman with many talents, some of which led to her becoming the dining reviewer for Montecito Magazine and The Independent, before starting her own dining journal, The Major Guide. Then, in 1988, she was back at UCSB as the PR Director for the UCSB Art Museum. She delighted in working with the museum staff, donors, and her beloved students and brought a new approach to her job, where she energized the arts community by attracting people from outside, such as Drama, Music, Dance, ROTC, etc., and turned the arrival of each new exhibit into a gala event. Sharon reluctantly retired in 2000, having become afflicted with crippling, neuropathic pain. She bravely fought that pain with enough courage to fuel the 3rd Marine Division. She was a mighty-mite in a 120 lb. package.

Head-turning gorgeous on the outside, equally matched by the beauty inside, Sharon was born with a smile on her face and had a reservoir of joy that she displayed in a beguiling, disarming way. She was an unabashed square, who’s favorite T.V. shows were on Hallmark. Possessed of an uncanny moral compass, Sharon always knew what was right and wrong. To those closest to her, Sharon’s sudden passing has left a wretched, aching void of misery. Sweet Sharon, a final good-bye.