Sharolee Ann Huet, age 53, of Merritt Island, Florida, and formerly of Bryan, Ohio, passed away Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, after a battle with cancer.
She was born April 9, 1965, the daughter of Richard and Sharon (Kadesch) Kepler, who survive her.
She graduated from Edgerton High School in 1983 and was a member of the marching band drill team. She continued her education at the Ohio State University where she was active in Air Force ROTC and the precision rifle drill team, graduating in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering.
She received her master’s degree from Florida Institute of Technology in space systems in 1992. In 1988, she moved to Florida where she was employed by NASA at Kennedy Space Center. Various positions she held involved the Spacelab, the International Space Station Destiny laboratory, the Space Shuttle mid deck experiments and the crew module of the Orion spacecraft. She planned to retire this December after 30 years.
On Jan. 28, 1996, Sharolee married Jeffrey Huet at Cocoa Beach, Florida, and he survives. She also leaves behind her children, Nathan and Shelby Huet, Merritt Island, Florida, and her brother, Brian (Sandra) Kepler, Dearborn, Michigan.
She had an incredible experience of riding in an open cockpit biplane in Huntsville, Alabama. She was an Ohio State Buckeye fan and a Darrell Waltrip NASCAR fan. She was active in Boy Scout Troop 701 and Girl Scout Troop 697, which her children were involved in.
She loved to travel, especially to cold climates including ski trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada and Maggie Valley, North Carolina. She also enjoyed cruises to Alaska. Other interests were chaperoning her children’s school bus trips to interesting places, “talking shop” with astronauts and riding and working with horses. For relaxation she would read, work jigsaw puzzles, do crafts, bake or sew. She took a sign language course to challenge herself.She gave a final gift as an organ donor.
A celebration of life service, conducted by NASA, took place Nov. 17, 2018, at Grace United Methodist Church of Merritt Island.
Her family was presented with a United States flag that had flown over Kennedy Space Center. She loved her NASA family and they loved her by naming a star after her on the day she entered into the heavens.
She will be laid to rest at a later date at Maple Grove Cemetery, Edgerton, Ohio.
If your heart moves you to contribute in Sharolee’s name, please consider one of the following which were some of her favorites: Walk on Water Ministry — Equine Therapeutic Riding (walkonwaterhorses.com); St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org); Wounded Warrior Project (support.woundedwarriorproject.org).