Sharon Lanelle Mcquay Hefley

Sharon LaNelle McQuay Hefley, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and

friend, entered the Kingdom of Heaven on March 15, 2023, after a long and brave battle with Parkinson’s disease. Sharon, a registered tribal member of the Choctaw Indian Nation, was born on May 14, 1942 and lived her early years in southeastern Oklahoma prior to her family moving to Amarillo, Texas.

She devoted many years of her life to early childhood education, and was a renowned consultant to many teachers in the Texas Panhandle with the Region XVI Education Service Center. She played a primary role in organizing the first annual statewide Early Childhood Teachers’ Conference, which was dedicated to providing quality educational training for all early childhood teachers in the state of Texas. Sharon lived her life to the fullest. She was an avid gardener, nature lover, and artist. She loved many kinds of gatherings and the night life! Sharon enriched and impacted countless peoples’ lives until the day she left this world, and will continue to do so.

She is survived by her daughter, Denise Williams, son John Hefley, Jr., granddaughters Melodie Hefley-Lankop, Harmonie Hefley-Lawson, of Amarillo, siblings, Karen Gail McQuay Jones, of San Francisco, California,  Joseph Seth McQuay, Jr, of Shamrock, Texas, Joan Michelle McQuay Hodge, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Judith Irene McQuay Pepper, of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

A memorial to celebrate her life will be held at Amarillo Botanical Gardens on March 29

th

, 2023 beginning at 2 pm.   A come-and-go reception is to follow. The Amarillo Botanical Gardens is located at 1400 Streit Dr in Amarillo TX.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name can be made to the Windy Nicklaus Memorial Fund, with checks payable to:

Jan Werner Adult Daycare Center, 3108 S Fillmore St., Amarillo TX 79110