Havenbrook Funeral Home
Sharon Olivia Martin Brickman, Ph. D., 81, passed Aug. 15, 2024, in Norman, Okla., her adopted hometown of the past 30 years, surrounded by family. Her life was marked by love and service to God, family and nation with ample magical talents and charm to bless family and friends.
The family will celebrate her life at a 2 p.m. service Aug. 22, 2024, at Havenbrook Funeral Home, 3401 Havenbrook St. in Norman, Okla.
Born in Texarkana, Texas, Aug. 24, 1942 to Mary Helen (Jones) and John Martin, she was first a military dependent of her father. She grew up alternately between Army bases at Camp Hood (now known as Fort Cavazos), Texas, Fort Sill, Okla. and Mainz, West Germany and in Texarkana when her father deployed overseas during World War II and then later in Korea and Vietnam.
She married Jim Brickman in Lawton, Okla. June 1, 1963, and first supported him through his bachelor's degree completion and ROTC commission and then 29 years as a military dependent wife, instrumental as his partner as he eventually was promoted to Brigadier General. They were stationed overseas in Germany twice and posted domestically at Fort Sill, Okla. (three times); Fort Hood (Cavazos), Texas; Roswell, N.M.; Fort Leavenworth, Kan. (twice); Washington, D.C. (twice); Carlisle Barracks, Pa.; Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Monroe, Va.; Fort Riley, Kan. and finally at Fort Bragg (now known as Fort Liberty), N.C. Throughout his career, which ended in 1994, she considered it an honor to serve as an Army wife. She loved the soldiers and their families for whom she served as a first lady. Jim frequently said that she was the secret of the family's successes in life. During Jim's tours overseas in Vietnam and then Korea, they wrote to each other virtually every day for those two years and recorded dozens of reel-to-reel tapes they shipped to each other. They especially enjoyed their midtour R&Rs and celebrated them as their second and third honeymoons in 1968 and 1971.
Throughout her life, she was an exemplary student, earning academic honors at every level. She attended Texas High School and graduated from Lawton High School in 1960 in the top 10 of her class. She earned an associate's degree from Cameron College in 1962 and then completed her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education at Cameron University in 1983 after also collecting undergraduate credit hours at Oklahoma State, New Mexico Military Institute and George Mason University. In 1988, she received her master's degree in Reading Education from Austin Peay State University. She completed the requirements for her Doctorate of Philosophy from The University of Oklahoma in Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology in 2002. Her thesis was entitled, "Effects of a Joint Book Reading Strategy on Even Start."
During her professional educational career, she was a classroom at teacher in Lawton Public Schools, Fort Leavenworth school district and Fairfax County Public Schools along with serving as an instructor and/or professor at higher education institutions including Northern Virginia Community College, George Mason University, The University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University before she eventually retired in 2011 as a professor of education at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
As a teen, she began volunteering with the American Red Cross and eventually spent decades of hospital service, many of which were spent at Norman Regional Hospital and especially the cancer unit. In retirement, she also volunteered as a Whiz Kids tutor for several years.
Sharon obeyed the Gospel in 1960. Throughout her Christian life she served the church as a minister's secretary, bible teacher, nursery attendant, mentor, tutor, missionary and as wife to Jim serving as an as an elder, deacon, missionary and ministry leader throughout the United States, Germany and Central and South America. She made multiple missionary visits to Brazil and Colombia.
She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Jim, of Norman; along with her three children, Jamie Brickman of Dallas, Stefanie Brickman of Norman and Kristin and husband, Dr. Brett Hulin of Norman; her five grandchildren, Erin Brickman of Simi Valley, Calif.; Madison Brickman of Norman; Jordan Brickman of Denver; Jake Hulin of Norman and Brick Hulin of Austin, Texas; and her great-granddaughter, Margaret Brickman of Norman. She is also survived by her sister, Diana Williams of Oklahoma City; and an extended family of brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews along with more than a dozen first cousins.
Memorial donations may be made in Dr. Brickman's name at Great Cities Missions, https://greatcities.kindful.com/, and/or the Streams of Water community service ministry, https://www.alameda.church/ministries/streams-of-water.
Online condolences may be shared at www.havenbrookfuneralhome.com.
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