COL SHARON VOLGYI To TAPS

COL SHARON VOLGYI passed away 12/18/2015 at home after a long battle with stage 4 chronic liver disease..

Sharon Clayton Volgyi, Colonel, US Army (Retired) passed away peacefully on December 18th at her home with loving family after an extended illness.  Sharon was born on August 7th 1949 in Pasadena, California to Harry H. and Sylvia Dahmes Clayton.  She attended Amphitheater High School in Tucson, Arizona and graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree. She earned a masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Missouri in Kansas City.  Sharon volunteered to serve her country faithfully on active duty in the United States Army with a direct commission from April, 1973 until her retirement in March of 1999.  Shortly after coming on active duty, she met Imre Volgyi at the Finance Officer Basic Course in Indianapolis. They were wed in December of 1973.  Imre came on active duty the same time, and both were fortunate to be stationed together their entire 26 year careers.  As an active duty officer, Sharon served in multi-functional disciplines in financial, resource management, and automated systems with leadership positions including Installation Finance and Accounting Officer, Director of Field Financial Operations, and ultimately the Resource Manager of a major Army Command.  Her decorations and medals include Legion of Merit (two awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal (two awards), Southwest Asia Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Overseas Service Ribbon (two awards).  Upon retirement Sharon provided consulting services to the Software Development Center – Washington in the deployment of the Financial Management Information System.  In 2006, Sharon along with Imre volunteered as counselors with Chattanooga Chapter of the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), providing free mentoring services to small businesses.  She took on responsibilities as the Chapter Administrator in addition to her counseling duties.  During retirement, she participated with the Elder Scholars organization and assisted the Chattanooga Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America and served as the President of the Browns Ferry Landing Homeowners Association.  Sharon, an avid reader with a library of over 2,000 books, loved to sew clothes as well as make jewelry.  She enjoyed travel and was fortunate to have two tours of duty in Heidelberg, Germany, where she visited many countries. Other travels included a trip to Argentina for a family wedding, a cruise to the Caribbean with good friends, a trip to Russia with neighbors and a river cruise in China with her brother and sister-in-law.  Sharon always had a kind and gentle heart for all those fortunate to know and be around her. She constantly reached out to help others. She loved her cats, always adopting two cats at a time from the Humane Society, occasionally providing a foster home for additional stray cats.   Sharon was preceded in death by her parents Harry and Sylvia Clayton.  She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Imre, brother Robert L Clayton and his wife Linda, brother-in-law Julius Volgyi and his wife Maureen, sister-in-law Clara Burrow, and sister-in-law Mary Castlebury and nieces and nephews.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the SCORE nonprofit organization thru SBC, at 5726 Marlin Rd, Suite 515, Chattanooga, TN  37411. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, at Wann Funeral Home, 4000 Tennessee Ave in Chattanooga.  A Memorial Service will be held in mid January at a time and location TBD.

See condolence messages on the Finance Corps Facebook page and the Retired Army Finance Soldiers' Facebook page