Sharon Ruth Loy, known throughout much of her life and ministry as Sharon "Sister Midyett," went home to the Savior she loved on August 6, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of 83, with a long list of hugs she had been looking forward to giving.

She was born August 19, 1942, in Bloomington, Illinois, to Walter and Dorene Schmidgall. Raised in Stanford, Illinois, Sharon moved with her family to Tucson, Arizona, during her senior year of high school. After graduation, she attended business school in Tucson and began working at Desert Hills Realty and Tucson Electric Co. The skills she developed early on would carry over into her ministry, often serving as the bookkeeper for the churches she would serve.

Faith, family, music, and ministry were woven throughout Sharon's life from an early age. While still dating Robert "Bob" H. Midyett Jr., the two began ministering together at the Skid Row Mission in Tucson. They were married July 1, 1961, and would spend the next 52 years as husband and wife and approximately 53 years serving together in Christian ministry.

Early in their marriage, Sharon and Bob served as children's pastors at Central Assembly of God in Tucson and ministered at the Skid Row Mission before moving to Waxahachie, Texas, where Bob attended Bible school. During those years, Sharon worked as a bookkeeper for a large company in Dallas. While working there, she witnessed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, an experience she remembered vividly throughout her life.

While still in Bible school, Bob accepted his first senior pastorate in Midlothian, Texas. From the beginning, theirs was truly a ministry partnership. Bob served as senior pastor and preacher, while Sharon was an accomplished pianist and organist, children's minister, teacher, and an essential part of the life and work of each congregation they served.

They later returned to Tucson, where they pastored Faith Assembly of God in South Tucson for 16 years. During those years, their daughters, Joy and Karen, were born. Their ministry eventually took them to New Life Chapel in Johnstown, Colorado, where they served for five years, and then to Trinity Assembly of God in Rawlins, Wyoming, for approximately three and a half years. After returning briefly to Tucson, Sharon and Bob answered another call to ministry at First Assembly of God in Show Low, Arizona, where they pastored for more than 18 years before retiring. During the final year of their pastorate, as Bob's health declined, Sharon carried the pastoral responsibilities of the church.

Retirement did little to slow Sharon's ministry. She continued serving as a hospice chaplain and as a care counselor for a local funeral home, while remaining active in the churches she attended. Over the years she served as a pianist and organist, women's ministry teacher and leader, and later as a dedicated member of the prayer team at what would become her home church, White Mountain Dream City Church. In recent years, she also filled in as the pianist for Faith Baptist Church, where her daughter Joy attends.

Music was one of Sharon's greatest joys. She played piano, organ, flute, and accordion, but the piano and organ were where her extraordinary musical gifts were most evident. She played both by ear and from written music and seemed to carry an entire hymnal in her memory. She was almost always singing, and music remained an important part of both her ministry and her everyday life.

Sharon also loved the outdoors and enjoyed hunting and fishing with Bob. She was equally at home preparing an elk, a bucket of bullfrogs, or her well-known barbecue squirrel, often serving wild game so skillfully that guests never knew they were eating wild game meat. She was also famous among family and friends for her fresh apple pies.

Hospitality came naturally to Sharon. Her home was always open, especially to missionaries and others serving far from home. She had a gift for remembering what people liked and making them feel cared for, whether that meant preparing a favorite meal, finding a long-missed snack, or giving up her own room so a guest could be comfortable. She was a loyal friend and neighbor, remained close to her sisters throughout her life, and was known for her laughter, her prayers, her love of Scripture, and her habit of singing wherever she went.

Above all, Sharon treasured her family and was especially proud of her grandchildren. She loved the time she spent with them and the special weekends and traditions they shared together.

After Bob's death on July 23, 2013, following a long illness through which Sharon faithfully cared for him, she continued a life of service grounded in her deep faith in God. Years later, Sharon reconnected with her childhood sweetheart, Roger Loy. They married on July 31, 2021, and shared a loving marriage marked by companionship, mutual care, and ministry together in their home church. Sharon cared for Roger through his illness until his death earlier in 2026.

Sharon lived a life of remarkable resilience. Born approximately three months premature, she did not learn until her 80s that she had lived her entire life with heart conditions present from birth. She never knew there was any reason for them to slow her down, and in many ways they never did. Through joy, hardship, ministry, caregiving, loss, and change, Sharon remained deeply rooted in her faith and continued serving others for as long as she was able.

Sharon is survived by her daughters, Joy Sinclair and Karen (Jeremy) Francis; her grandchildren, William Hough, Noah Francis, and Belén Francis; and her sister, Phyllis Howard. She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Dorene Schmidgall; her husbands, Robert "Bob" Midyett Jr. and Roger Loy; her sisters, Marcia Doss and Georgia Loy and Georgia's husband, Dick; her brother, Joe Schmidgall; and her brother-in-law, Ron Howard.

A memorial service celebrating Sharon's life will be held Friday, October 16th, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at White Mountain Dream City Church. Memorial contributions may be made to Dream City Church.