Name Sharon Rockefeller Spouse Jay Rockefeller (m. 1967) Siblings Valerie Percy | Role Jay Rockefeller's wife | |
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Children Justin Rockefeller, Charles Rockefeller, Valerie Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller V Parents Jeanne Dickerson, Charles H. Percy Similar People Jay Rockefeller, Charles H Percy, Justin Rockefeller, Blanchette Ferry Rockefeller, Alida Rockefeller Messinger | ||
Sharon Percy Rockefeller at RAFOM Meeting
Sharon Lee Percy Rockefeller (born December 10, 1944) is the wife of former West Virginia Senator John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV and served as that state's First Lady from 1977 to 1985.
She was born in Oakland, California, on December 10, 1944, a twin daughter of Senator Charles Harting Percy (1919—2011) and Jeanne Valerie Dickerson, who died in 1947. She earned a Bachelor's degree at Stanford University and later studied at Morris Harvey College and West Virginia Wesleyan College. Her twin sister Valerie was murdered in 1966 at the family home by a mysterious intruder. Sharon married John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV (born 1937) in 1967. He is the son of John Davison Rockefeller III (1906—1978) and Blanchette Ferry Hooker (1909—1992) of the Rockefeller family. She and Jay have four children and six grandchildren.
As First Lady of West Virginia, she promoted the Public Broadcasting Service, helped establish a centralized system to assist mentally handicapped children, and founded Mountain Artisans, a quilting business for low-income artisans. She also campaigned to lower utility costs and to improve care for the elderly. After Jay was elected to the United States Senate in 1985, she became Chief executive officer of WETA-TV in Washington, D.C. She is a former member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group.
The Rockefellers live in Northwest district of Washington, DC and retain their permanent residence in Charleston, West Virginia.
In 2005 Percy Rockefeller was diagnosed with colon cancer, undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Her cancer has since metastasized in the bones. Her experience prompted her to convince film maker Ken Burns to produce the documentary Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies.
