Sharon Spade William (87).

Sharon (Read) Spade William of Williamstown, MA, quietly passed away on March 3rd, 2025, while surrounded by her family.

Born in Hammond, IN, on December 26, 1937, she was the first daughter of Ralph and Helen (Read) Spade. Sharon was the oldest of their three siblings. In the early 1940s, the family moved to Ferrisburgh, VT, where she grew up working on the family dairy farm and gift shop.

Sharon attended a one-room school house, and later on high school in Vergennes, VT. Sharon attended Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, where she graduated with dual Master’s degrees, most notably in Language Arts. In the late 1990’s, Sharon attended the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, where she worked on her PhD in Language Arts.

While attending college, Sharon took the opportunity to study abroad in Madrid, Spain. This had a profound effect on her, as this is where she gained her love for the country and their culture. From the basilicas of Madrid, to the coast of Barcelona, from the bull fights in the stadiums, to the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, she experienced everything Spain had to offer. As time passed on, this passion for Spain’s culture and other European countries assisted Sharon in becoming fluent in Spanish, Italian, French, Latin and Arabic.

Upon graduation, Sharon’s spirit of adventure led her to accepting a teaching position, teaching English at the University of Baghdad, in Baghdad, Iraq. During this tenure, Sharon would meet her husband, to which they would have three children together. Sharon spent the majority of the 1960’s living and teaching in Baghdad, Iraq.

 In 1972, Sharon moved the family back to the United States, where she settled in Milford, NH. She taught Spanish at Milford Area Senior High (MASH), until 1983. 1984 she taught Spanish for two years at Westford Academy, in Westford, MA. 1986, Sharon relocated to Williamstown, MA, where she taught Spanish at Mount Greylock Regional High School (MGRHS) until the early 2000’s. Most notably, organizing and running the AFS club, which hosted Foreign Exchange Students, from all over the world.

After a long stretch of teaching high school, Sharon went back to teaching Spanish at the University level. She rounded out her teaching career as an adjunct professor at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT, and Hamilton College in Clinton, NY.

Sharon always had a passion for sewing, especially in making quilts. For all those who came to visit, you knew you that you would have to move the quilt pieces off the furniture, in order to find a place to sit. While in retirement, Sharon’s hobby of sewing quilts for family members took over a lot of her spare time. There wasn’t a family member who didn’t receive a new quilt every couple of years. Sharon and her sister (Jenny) became members of the Eastside Quilters of Nassau, NY, where they regularly attended quilting excursions, while making quilts for many different charities.

Later on in retirement, Sharon developed a new career of sorts. She applied her language skills and became a certified English to Spanish Translator and Medical Interpreter. This is where she assisted in converting medical documents into Spanish, for many insurance companies based in Massachusetts. Her medical interpreting skills coupled with her sense of volunteerism, ultimately led her to partner with, and translate for, Volunteers in Medicine - Berkshires, where she would assist migrant workers and their families, access proper medical care in Berkshire County. In person or over the phone, she assisted in the communication between the doctors and their patients. Many of these workers grew to rely on her assistance, knowing that she was always willing to help, and that she was only a phone call away.

As those that truly knew her, Sharon’s biggest love in life was Travel. She has lived all over the world, from Europe to the Middle East. She has traveled to five continents and countless countries. She enjoyed chaperoning the numerous high school student-trips abroad. Even with all this travel, Spain was by far her favorite destination of all of the places that she had ever traveled to. In the last few years, Sharon was once again lucky enough to find a couple of travel partners, who shared this same love. Together, they traveled all over the United States and Europe, with her final trip being Ireland in September of 2024.

Fondly referred to as ‘Nana’ by her grandchildren, Sharon enjoyed the time she got to spend with each of them; from talking on the phone, hanging out at family gatherings, or going on vacation to the beach with them. She was so proud of the young adults that each of them were becoming.

Sharon leaves behind her three children, Anmar William Corkery (East Greenbush, NY), Nermin William Spagnolia (Worcester, MA), Shuan William, with wife Jennifer (Williamstown, MA), along with her four grandchildren, Nickolas Corkery (TX), Alex Corkery (FL), Sophia Spagnolia (MA) and Reid William (MA). Sharon also leaves numerous nieces and nephews scattered across New England and Colorado. She was preceded by her other two siblings, Ralph and Jennifer.

“I am off onto my next adventure … Adiós!!!”

Calling hours will be on Sunday, March 9th, 2025 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, at Flynn & Dagnoli funeral home, 521 West Main St., North Adams, MA. A private family funeral service will take place at a later time.

In lieu of flowers, Sharon and her family would love for you to make Memorial Donations to Volunteers in Medicine - Berkshires, 777 South Main St., #4, Great Barrington, MA 01230, or at www.vimberkshires.org, where she volunteered. To add to the Book of Memories, please visit flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com.