Sharron is a 6th generation Texan, born and raised in Fort Worth by a stay-at-home mom and a hard working dad. Sharron’s mother later became a nurse, working for a neurosurgeon as his surgical assistant from which she retired. Sharron’s dad retired after 37 years with SW Bell Telephone Company.
Sharron graduated from Rutherford-Metropolitan College of Business, and worked for American Airlines for 21 years, was downsized and took early retirement. She was Vice-President of Spencer Engineering, Inc.
Sharron and husband M.G. “Jerry” Spencer moved to Grapevine in January 1975. He was active in Grapevine until his last diagnosis of cancer from which he died in 2012. Eight months later, Sharron’s mother also died; her dad died on Father’s Day in 2006.
Doug Rogers and Sharron first met in a 7th grade history class and were friends at school but they never dated. Doug lived in Austin for 40 years, and retired as the Executive Director of the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE). Doug was very highly regarded; the Association named their building for him upon his retirement. He decided to move back to the Fort Worth area to be closer to his daughters, sisters, and mother. He had lost a spouse to cancer, too. Doug and Sharron got re-acquainted shortly before their 50th high school reunion, and the magic began! They married June 9, 2017.
She has brought forth numerous ideas and programs which have benefited countless Grapevine citizens and businesses. These are some of which she is most proud:
- A strong supporter of historic preservation, Sharron envisioned and then created the program to install a fire sprinkler system in the historic Main Street buildings including a long-term financing option to make it affordable for the building owners. Two weeks after the sprinkler installation was completed, a candle was left burning in a business at day’s end resulting in a fire. The sprinkler system activated and quickly extinguished the blaze with minimal loss to merchandise and no damage to the building. No catastrophic loss occurred to the historic downtown properties.
- Sharron suggested the city adopt an Open Space Ordinance requiring new housing developments to dedicate open space land in new neighborhoods and/or the money to develop them, and she shepherded this ordinance through the City Council adoption process. Many neighborhood parks in Grapevine are the result of her idea which will provide years of memory-making opportunities for generations to come.These parks, and others, exist today because of Sharron’s idea and her work to make them a reality:
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- Austin Oaks Park
- Banyan Park
- Glade Landing Park
- Hazy Meadows Park
- Oakridge Park
- Parkwood Park
- Pecan Park
- Shadow Glen Park
- Yorkshire Meadows Park
- Acreage was also acquired and added to:
- Parr Park
- Bear Creek Park and Nature Preserve
- One of Sharron’s first suggestions when elected was to establish Grapevine as a Tree City USA. She accomplished that which began the city’s annual Arbor Day celebration. Grapevine is now one of the longest honored cities in Texas as a Tree City USA.
- Sharron was the driving force that avoided a large east-west state highway through southern Grapevine when the Texas Highway Department proposed building it along Bear Creek. A suitable name was needed for the city’s new Bear Creek Park, and Sharron knew environmental issues were challenging for TXDOT. She suggested naming the new park Bear Creek Park and Nature Preserve. The pristine area along Bear Creek remains intact today.
