Clyde D. Sharp, Jr. was born May 31, 1938, to Clyde and Wilma (Jacobs) Sharp. He lived to be the age of 82, spent a good portion of his life in Wyoming and South Dakota and retired in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Clyde and his twin brother Claude were born in Interior, South Dakota and lived on a ranch with their large family. The cattle ranch raised many farm animals and always had a garden. Clyde often would share many fond memories of the ranch. His family lived off the land and always had plenty to eat, even during the Great Depression of the 1930’s. The ranch was also one of the first in the area to have indoor plumbing and electricity. As one of the youngest of 17 siblings and a kid on the ranch, you had to be tough. There are stories of the older brothers paying the younger brothers coins to fight for entertainment on the ranch.


Clyde graduated from Interior South Dakota High School and played on the basketball team. After graduating, Clyde moved to the big city of Rapid City, SD where he worked numerous jobs in construction and as a fire fighter. Clyde married Venita Snyder and had one son in 1975. Clyde worked at a coal mine in Wyoming for almost 18 years and on the pipeline in Fairbanks, Alaska to support his family. He was also an entrepreneur who owned and ran many businesses including three restaurants and three hotels in his lifetime. He was always an extremely hard worker, many times occupying full-time jobs and running his small businesses at the same time. There are two streets in Rapid City named after him due to the development of most of the homes on those streets.


He loved retired life in Mesa and his hobbies included exercising, dancing, traveling, playing poker, watching the Phoenix Suns and his morning quad espresso from Starbucks. There were stories of Clyde sending home coworker’s paychecks he had won in a poker game on the pipeline in Alaska during the 70’s.


Clyde is survived by his partner, Darlene Felker, Mesa, AZ; son, Clyde III (Kelly) Sharp, Denver, CO; stepson Randy Snyder, Fairbanks, AK; stepdaughter Kelly Ladony, Houston, TX; brother Jacob (Judy) Sharp and sister Donna Bounds of Rapid City, SD and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, July 25, at the Community Center in Wall with Dave Olson officiating.

Interment will follow at the Wall Cemetery.

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