Sharon Kay Vannoy

Sharon Kay (Berry) Vannoy, 77, formerly of Hughesville, Missouri, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at Regent Park Rehabilitation & Healthcare in Wichita, Kansas. Her final moments included love and hugs from her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.

She was born April 22, 1949, in Warrensburg, Missouri, the third daughter of the late Willis Keith and Opal Irene (Seley) Berry. On February 10, 1973, at Bethel United Methodist Church, Hughesville, she married Dean Vannoy, and they lived on their farm together for more than fifty years.

Although born and raised southern Baptist, Sharon found a home within the United Methodist Church as an adult. She loved serving as part of the local and statewide chapters of the United Methodist Women (UMW—now United Women in Faith), ascending to leadership roles for the UMW Missouri West conference and getting to participate in the annual School of Mission and convocations in Louisville, KY, and New York, NY.

She started her college career wanting to be a history teacher but later moved into bookkeeping and accounting. Her favorite coworker and job was with her sister, Barbara, and they often joked about opening their own business called, “Semi-Professional Tax & Accounting.” She finished her career as a route accountant for County Distributing in Sedalia. Having never fully abandoned her first love, however, she went back to graduate with a degree in history from the University of Central Missouri in 2014.

Sharon enjoyed traveling and especially loved the mountains and ocean. She was an avid St. Louis Cardinals baseball and Kansas City Chiefs football fan, with especially precious memories of attending Cards games with her sister and father, going back the original Sportsman’s Park/Busch Stadium.

She was a passionate, empathetic, emotional firestorm of a human being. She cared deeply about the environment, human rights, and vulnerable populations, giving of both her time and monies as she was able. She loved her sister, husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren fiercely and protectively.

Sharon is survived by two daughters, Erin Teeter (Shannon), of Wichita, KS; Rena Lawrence (Bryan), of Fort Worth, TX, and; a sister, Barbara Montague, of Knob Noster, MO; four grandchildren, Lauren Roland (Christian), Brienne Sosa (Jonny), Aidan Teeter and Evan Lawrence; two great-granddaughters, the “little missies,” Khalea Roland and Noémi Sosa; and many nieces, nephews and other extended family.

In addition to her parents, Sharon was preceded in death by her husband, Dean Vannoy, sister, Linda Jean Berry, and other siblings who died in infancy due to rH incompatibility.

Visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at Heckart Funeral Home in Sedalia. A graveside service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, August 31, 2026, at the Green Ridge Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations online to the Wichita Childrens Home’s Building Hope Campaign, which just broke ground the week of Mom’s death and personifies one of the causes most meaningful to her. An important piece of this project is the Center for Children’s Healing, a “unique space dedicated to addressing the effects of childhood trauma, violence, grief, and loss.”

Donations made be made here: https://wch.org/giving/building-hope/