Doctor Sharon Tristan Morgan was born on May 29, 1949, in Albany, GA to John and Ida Louise Strong. She graduated from Monroe High School in 1967 and earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Spelman College in 1971. Sharon met her husband, Sigmund Morgan, a student at adjacent Morehouse College, while attending joint classes at the Atlanta University Center during their undergraduate years. They would marry shortly after graduation and eventually have two children together, Piper Dawn and Jason. Sharon and Sigmund divorced in 1983.

After undergraduate studies, Sharon entered medical school at Washington University in St Louis, MO but quickly began to question her academic and professional path. Sharon had grown up during the Jim Crow era and had witnessed the many ways in which segregation impacted the self-esteem and health of her friends, family, and community. This formative experience led Sharon to realize that her true calling lay in supporting the mental health needs of young people, and she left medical school to pursue a career in psychology.

In time, Sharon would earn her master’s degree in psychology from Georgia State University in 1976 and her doctorate from Florida State University in 1991. She went on to serve as the Director of Psychology Services at the University of Texas Health – Houston Harris County Psychiatric Center; and later, the Director of Clinical Training with the Department of Psychology at Prairie View A&M University from 2006 to 2014. Sharon authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles related to the effects of stress on children, teenage suicide, and cognitive behavioral therapy for young adults.

Sharon was intellectually curious, a gifted researcher, profoundly empathetic, and an incredible mother. Sharon enjoyed long walks in the park or around the neighborhood. She relished long conversations over dinner with her friends; exploring astronomy, philosophy, religion, architecture, and urban design with her son; and caring for her cats. Sharon could always find time to share a comforting word, provide a hug or attentively listen.  She was a tireless advocate for children and a strong supporter of the expansion of civil and human rights for all people. She made sure her son understood the value of voting and civic participation and took him with her as she marched in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment in 1982 (Tallahassee, FL). She volunteered with numerous organizations in the local community, taught Sunday School while working on her doctorate, and mentored numerous fellow researchers down through the years. Sharon touched the lives of all around her in edifying ways that cannot be numbered.

Sharon sought to live out her retirement years closer to her extended family, and she returned to her native Georgia in 2019. She passed away on June 8th, 2023, at the age of 74 in Decatur, GA after struggling with frontotemporal dementia and breast cancer for several years in hospice care.

Sharon was predeceased by her parents, John and Ida Louise Strong; her brother, Johnny Strong; and her daughter, Piper Dawn. She is survived by her son, Jason; her ex-husband, Sigmund; her niece, Lorelle Rich; her nephew, John-John Strong; and numerous cousins.

A celebration of life has been planned for Sharon and information is now posted on the events tab on this website.

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