Sharalee Sue Wilson

Sharalee Sue Carter Wilson, age 89, of Traverse City, Michigan, passed peacefully into eternal life surrounded by her loving family. Born on October 10, 1936, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Sharalee was the cherished daughter of John Elza Carter and Arline Doris Todd Carter.

A lifelong learner and gifted educator, Sharalee graduated from Michigan State University, where she met the love of her life, Patrick James Wilson, on a blind date arranged by a mutual friend, Plato Rantis. They were married on August 6, 1960, and began a partnership filled with faith, humor, and devotion. Her teaching career started in Lansing, Michigan where she taught for the Michigan School for the Blind, and then flourished in Burns Park Elementary School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she inspired fifth graders with kindness, patience, and creativity.

Sharalee was baptized and raised in the Methodist faith, where her early love for Christ was nurtured by her parents, John and Arline, whose steadfast belief shaped her own. As she grew in faith and shared a life with Patrick, a devoted Catholic, she found herself drawn ever deeper into the mystery of God's love. Through the gentle guidance of Father Mac, a priest whose friendship and wisdom profoundly influenced her spiritual life, Sharalee came to embrace the Catholic Church, finding peace and joy in its sacraments and devotion to the unborn child. Her faith became the quiet rhythm of her days— reading Jesus Calling with coffee at her kitchen table, prayers for her children and grandchildren, and heartfelt reflections that connected her to her parents' enduring example of grace and trust in God.

Sharalee and Patrick raised five children—Shelley (Paul) Kester, Mike (Margaret) Wilson, John (Kate) Wilson, Holly (Rob) Jones, and Meg (Thompson) Godfrey—who inherited their parents' compassion, wit, and zest for life. Sharalee's joy was found in the simple things—her morning coffee, gardening alongside her mother, and gathering her family for stories and laughter. She adored her grandchildren: Kayla (Michael) Valesano and Nick Kester; Patrick (Rachael), Daniel, and Rosemary Wilson; Jack (Maggie) Wilson and Caroline (Manny) Sadek; Garret, Peter, Luke, and Colin Jones; and Wilson, Walker, and Beckett Godfrey—and cherished her growing circle of great-grandchildren.

Known for declaring Sunday as "Family Day"—a time reserved exclusively for family—Sharalee radiated warmth through her bright smile and playful sense of humor. She delighted in simple joys like a good hot fudge sundae, scallops, and her famously quirky "banana salad," a beloved family favorite. Sharalee was a steadfast friend and a devoted sister to her brother, Dr. John Carter, and his wife, Barbara. She cherished her nieces and nephews from her brother John and those from her husband Patrick's brothers and sisters families, taking pride in their lives, their loving families, and their accomplishments.

As her earthly journey ends, her family takes comfort knowing she is reunited in heaven with her beloved parents, brother John and surrounded by the eternal love of Christ.

Visitation will be held at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home on Thursday, October 23, 2025 from 5pm until 7pm with a Rosary and Sharing time at 7pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11am at St. Francis Catholic Church with a visitation starting at 10am on Friday, October 24, 2025. Burial will take place at Oakwood Catholic Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Right to Life of Michigan.

Her legacy of faith, teaching, and love lives on in her family—and in all who had the privilege to know her.
"Well done, good and faithful servant." — Matthew 25:23