Avon Wichers Sharpe, artist and retired art instructor who ignited the imaginations of thousands of Washington state students during a distinguished 21-year teaching career, died here today at Tri-Cities Chaplaincy Hospice House on what would have been her 57th wedding anniversary. She was 79 and suffered from multiple myeloma, a blood cancer. Through her work in public schools, Mrs. Sharpe showed students how the majesty of Michelangelo, the abstraction of Picasso and the subtlety of Renoir flowed from the fundamentals of color, light and perspective. She worked to keep art education an integral element of public school curricula. She exhorted school administrators, students and parents, 'You gotta have art!' and often wore buttons carrying that slogan. Known as 'Von' to family and friends, she launched her teaching career in 1966 in Dayton, Washington, where Mrs. Sharpe established the school district's first comprehensive fine arts program. Mrs. Sharpe also taught art classes in a Walla Walla Community College continuing education program. She joined the Lochburn Junior High School faculty in Lakewood, Washington in 1974, teaching there until her retirement in 1988. As an artist, Mrs. Sharpe worked in nearly all media. She decorated her home with her works in oil, acrylic, charcoal, pastels and ceramics. Several of her paintings were hung in juried exhibits. Her hand-thrown ceramic pieces were sold in craft shops and auctioned to benefit charitable organizations. She was active at home in her ceramics studio until a few months before her death. She was born January 7, 1927 and reared in Manhattan, Kansas, where her father, Henry E. Wichers, was a member of the architecture faculty at Kansas State University. A 1944 graduate of Manhattan High School, she moved with her family to Pullman, Washington in 1946 when her father joined the Washington State University faculty. Mrs. Sharpe graduated from WSU in 1948 with a bachelor's degree in fine arts. She married Cecil Albert Sharpe, Jr. on June 26, 1949 in Pullman, Washington. They moved to Seattle where Mr. Sharpe earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Washington and she worked as a commercial artist for an advertising agency and publisher. As Mr. Sharpe built his career as a newspaper editor and publisher, the couple lived in Seattle and Pomeroy, Washington; and Central Point and John Day, Oregon before settling in Dayton, Washington in 1956. The Sharpes were active and involved community members in Dayton until 1973 when they moved to Lakewood where he was editor and co-publisher of the then bi-weekly Suburban Times newspaper. He died in 1999. Mrs. Sharpe moved to Kennewick, Washington in 2004 to be near her daughters, Mrs. Timmi Michael Garrett and Mrs. Pamela John Puhak, both of Pasco, Washington. Other survivors are her son Gary Cathy Sharpe of Darnestown, Maryland, and eight grandchildren Todd, Mark Rachel and Megan Garrett; Joseph Puhak; Marissa, Tucker, Griffin and Cooper Sharpe. Mueller's Chapel Of The Falls, Kennewick, is in charge of arrangements. A memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. July 6 at Kennewick First Presbyterian Church, Pastor Kriss Bottino officiating. A reception follows at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cecil and Avon Sharpe Scholarship Trust through the Clover Park Technical College Foundation, 4500 Steilacoom Boulevard S.W., Lakewood, Washington 98499.