Sharon H. Nathan

Sharon Nathan (November 23rd,1949 - December 29th, 2024)

Sharon Nathan grew up in Culver City, California, with her parents, Norman and Harriet Weinstein Shapiro, and her sisters Judi Weinberger and Debby Frank. She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and earned her PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Michigan. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the Reiss-Davis Child Study Center, she joined the Children's Division of the Menninger Clinic. She married Dr. William Nathan and gave birth to Rachel Esther. Her life accomplishment was balancing mothering and marriage, clinical and academic work, and psychoanalytic training. Over her 20 years at Menninger she became proficient in psychotherapy and psychological testing with adolescents. She taught and supervised fellows in clinical psychology and psychiatry, received two Rapaport awards for excellence in teaching, and served for a year as director of the postdoctoral fellowship. She completed training in adult and child psychoanalysis at the Topeka Institute for Psychoanalysis and wrote book chapters, journal articles, and book reviews for the Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic. Subsequently, she was fortunate to be able to continue testing and supervising at the Family Service and Guidance Clinic. Her life balance shifted to caregiving and support as Bill Nathan became increasingly disabled by multiple sclerosis and Rachel pursued her own personal and professional growth. When Rachel married, Sharon was delighted to add Peter Bawin and his family to hers. Sharon retired shortly after her husband's death. She volunteered at Florence Crittenton Services and C.A.S.A., joined the League of Women Voters, and went to study groups at Temple Beth Sholom. As her activities became limited by interstitial lung disease, she cherished FaceTime with granddaughter June, talking with her sisters and friends, reading, and practicing yoga. 

Sharon died on December 29, 2024. Services will be held with close family at Mount Hope Cemetery followed by a celebration of life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Temple Beth Sholom or Florence Crittenton Services of Topeka.