Patricia Ritchie Sharp

Patricia Ritchie Sharp, 86, of Mt. Pleasant, SC, passed away peacefully, September 9, 2026, after a rich, fulfilling life of love and laughter. A graceful tango with Alzheimer’s Disease never dimmed her light. Pat was born July 13th, 1940, in Walterboro, SC, to Charles Alexander and Patty Eliza Hurley Ritchie, and retained her gracious Southern charm throughout her life.

Beautiful, bright and spirited, Pat was a lifelong learner and risk taker. The daughter of a career US Army officer, Pat made the most of her childhood travels and cultivated connections wherever she lived. It was no surprise the love of her life was a tall, dark and handsome Army officer, Richard “Dick” Sharp, and the pair married in 1960, shortly after meeting at the Fort Benning, GA, Officers Club pool.

Pat took to the nomadic and challenging nature of life as an Infantry officer’s wife and created lovely, welcoming homes all over the world, where she reveled in being the consummate hostess. While rearing their two children, she also earned two degrees, developed successful Army family support programs, and enjoyed an array of lively side quests such as gardening, sewing, antiquing, painting, horseback riding and skiing.

When Pat was widowed in her 40s, she turned her grief into action and pursued work in government service, achieving a distinguished career at the US Department of the Treasury. As a Gold Star Widow, she also spearheaded and championed a profound change to the military program for widows and widowers of active duty spouses, allowing them to continue to receive benefits after remarrying.

Upon her retirement in her late 50s, Pat found love again with Gary Hyde, and they skied and traveled together tirelessly, while also creating an idyllic life in the Virginia countryside. It was a magical time as they rode horses, fox hunted with the Snickersville Hounds, gardened, delved into genealogy, and enjoyed a host of friends and family for memorable parties and gatherings at their beloved Deercroft estate in Middleburg. Pat was a member of the DAR, Cocotin Chapter and was proud o0f her patriotic forbears. She also enjoyed getting together with her Kappa Alpha Theta sorority sisters.

Those left to cherish her memory are her second husband Garry Lee Hyde of Princeton, NJ; daughter Ashley Woody and husband Dan of Mount Pleasant SC.; son Scott Sharp and wife Kate of Columbus, GA; sister Jane Ritchie and her husband, Bruno Zupan and their daughter, Natasha Zupan, of Valldemossa, Mallorca, Spain. Without a doubt the greatest joy of Pat’s beautiful life were her three exemplary grandchildren, Jacob, Charles and Patty Eliza. She was their biggest fan and devoted herself to doting on them, inspiring them, and shaping their characters with her thirst for learning and love of life.

Pat was preceded in death by husband BG Richard H. Sharp and her parents.

Visitation will be at McAlister-Smith Funeral Home in Mount Pleasant on September 23, 2026, from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM. She will be interred with Dick Sharp at Arlington National Cemetery at a date to be determined. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Lutheran Hospice of South Carolina.

Please celebrate a life well lived by remembering this remarkable woman and visit www.mcalister-smith.com

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral and Cremation, 1520 Rifle Range Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 884-3833.