Sharon K. Napolitano

Sharon K. Napolitano, 63, Hamden, CT, beloved wife of Philip and loving mother of Kathryn and John, passed through death to life with Christ forever Thursday, February 5, 2026.

Sharon Kristina Almquist, the daughter of Erland Lincoln and Elinor Frances Chase Almquist, was born October 13, 1962, in Red Oak, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Red Oak, and graduated from Red Oak Community High School in 1981.

She learned from a young age the value of work and grew up delivering the Omaha World Herald morning newspaper, working in soybean and hay fields, driving tractors, mowing lawns, and working for McDonald’s Restaurant throughout her high school and college career. As a college student she also worked at Hardee’s for four years to pay her way through school. She graduated from Iowa State University, Ames, with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1985.

In 1987, she met Phil Napolitano, the man who would become the love of her life. In the U.S. Navy, he was stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia Beach, VA, and Sharon had come from Iowa for a visit to Virginia Beach, where they began a long-distance relationship. In May 1988, to shorten the distance, she moved to Milford, CT, where Phil returned home after an honorable discharge from the Navy.

On June 2, 1990, Sharon was united in marriage to Philip Lynch Napolitano at Trinity Lutheran Church, Milford, and to this union two children, Kathryn Kristine and John Vincent, were born. She and Phil showed great interest in the lives of their daughter and son, attending their extracurricular activities and encouraging them both to graduate from college and pursue their dreams.

Sharon’s lifelong writing and editing career began in 1985 when she was employed as a reporter, columnist, and photographer for the Cedar Valley Times of Vinton, Iowa. In 1988, she joined the staff of the Milford Citizen newspaper as a staff reporter and education writer.

In 1990, she became involved in writing and editing for health communication companies, including Logical Communications, Fairfield, CT; Pharmedica Communications, Killingworth, CT; Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford; and the Yale-New Haven Health System. She was a freelance writer as well as the editor of Saint Raphael’s Better Health magazine for four years, and she also had worked in foundation relations for the Masonic Charity Foundation. Until January 2026, she was employed by the Yale-New Haven Health System as a communications coordinator of marketing and communications.

In Hamden, Sharon was an active member of Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and its pre-merger congregation, Christ Lutheran. She served on the council before and during the merger and in other capacities, especially outreach chair. For many years, Sharon was responsible for the church newsletter, and assisted with the design of Christ the Good Shepherd’s first website. She and her husband hosted many coffee hours and special events for their congregation.

Sharon fought against health battles, surviving breast cancer in 2015 and two major back surgeries in 2023, twice having to relearn how to walk. She endured cancer’s return a second time in 2023, fighting with courage and grace. She was a supportive friend to others who struggled with health issues and was passionate about her work as a health writer and editor.
In her spare time, Sharon enjoyed traveling, reading, and camping trips with her family. She was a rock music enthusiast and attended many concerts over the years-as many as 200-such as Queen, the Rolling Stones, Bob Seger, Chicago, and Seattle-based grunge bands. Sharon played the piano and alto saxophone and took guitar lessons. Since junior high school she was a competitive bowler and later competed in community bowling leagues; during high school and college she was also an avid roller skater.
Sharon dearly loved her family and was devoted to them, including her yellow labs, Frannie and Nellie, named for her grandparents, and family cats, Oscar and Champ, whom Phil and Sharon rescued. Sharon loved New England but was fiercely proud of her Iowa farmgirl roots. She maintained lifelong friendships with many Iowans and enjoyed making new friends in Connecticut.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Phil; daughter, Kathryn (Nate Bushmaker) Napolitano; son, John (Katherine Chwe) Napolitano; mother, Elinor Almquist; brother, Dennis (Brenda) Almquist; sister, Mary (Wallace) Wanek; sisters-in-law, Ellen Frost, Alice (Michael Markowitz) Napolitano; brothers-in-law Dan (Judy) Schweer, Jim (Lorraine) Napolitano, Jim Elliott, Anthony (Theresa) Napolitano; many nieces and nephews: Jim Napolitano, Nicholas (Michele Born) Napolitano, and Audra Napolitano; Megan (Julianne Merrill) Elliott, Brian Elliott, Gary Frost, Amber (Carter Lowe) Frost, Grace Frost, Emma Frost, Joellyn Nunno, Nicole and EJ Medel, Bob Nunno, Russell (Wendy) Nunno, Erika (Ed Rivera) Nunno, Megan (Victor) Kuzin, Rebecca (Wesley Reinhart) Napolitano, Leo Napolitano, Franklin Napolitano, Jessica (Kevin Culligan) Napolitano, Brian (Stephanie) Schweer, Lynn Schweer, Carly Almquist, Lane Almquist, Sandra (Josh) Walker, Emily Walker, Carlene (Austin) Keeler, Henry Keeler, and Finley Keeler; her church family at Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran; and many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her father, Erland Almquist; father- and mother-in-law, James Vincent and Mary Alice Napolitano; sister, Diane (Almquist) Schweer; sisters-in-law, Nancy Elliott and Agnes Napolitano; and nephew, Matt Nunno, as well as other aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives.

A celebration of life will be held for Sharon at 11:00 a.m. Saturday February 14, at Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 600 Shepard Avenue, Hamden. The service will also be live-streamed on Facebook. Visitation will be held on Friday February 13 at Beecher and Bennett Funeral Home, 2300 Whitney Avenue, Hamden from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.  Interment will be held at Evergreen Cemetery, Red Oak, Iowa, at a later date.

Memorials are suggested to Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Hamden, CT at www.christgoodshepherdlutheran.org; Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT at www.givetoynhh.org; or the Napolitano family for its wishes, c/o Phil Napolitano.

To send a condolence or for information, see her obituary at www.beecherandbennett.com