Sharon Bunde Albert

WEAVERVILLE – Sharon Bunde Albert, age 86, of Weaverville, passed away on Monday, April 6, 2026. Mrs. Albert was born on September 5, 1939, in Mankato, Minnesota, a daughter of the late Ralph and Leona Lehman Bunde. She was also preceded in death by brothers, Richard Bunde and Ken Bunde.

Sharon was a loving and dedicated mother, grandmother, sister and aunt who will be incredibly missed by many. She grew up in Mankato where she met and married Gordon Albert. She earned her college degree, a rarity at the time, and went on to also earn her MFA, both at Mankato State University. As teachers with a sense of adventure they jumped at the chance to teach overseas in the DoDDS system. Over the years she and Gordon touched the lives of hundreds of high school students in the classroom, on the court, on the track and on the stage. They spent five years in Germany from 1962-1967 before moving to the UK until they retired in 1996, but not before she coached one last season of volleyball. They moved back to the states at Thanksgiving that year and settled in Weaverville, North Carolina, both of them drawn to the beautiful mountains.

Over the years they were fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel and camp extensively throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, first in a VW van, orange of course, and then a Coachman van where they replaced the toilet with space for boxes of books that would all be finished by the end of the summer. As a family they explored dozens of cities and towns enjoying the culture, art, architecture and history, and then parked themselves at a gorgeous Mediterranean beach to relax before heading back to start a new school year.

In her retirement Sharon explored several different crafts including gourd making, needlepoint and making over 500 blankets that she donated to Project Linus, before finding a passion for quilting. She taught herself different techniques, watched hours of YouTube videos and despite claiming a math deficiency, which anyone who quilts knows cannot be accurate, made many colorful wall-hangings and bed quilts that friends and family continue to enjoy. She was always getting new inspiration and wanting to try new patterns and new color combinations. It truly was a passion and we are lucky she shared her talent with so many.

Surviving is her husband of 66 years, Gordon E. Albert; daughter, Dawn Albert and husband Doug Gross; son, Derek Albert and wife Colleen; sisters, Barbara Cliff and husband John, and Judie Bock; brothers, Conley Bunde and wife Becky, and Louie Bunde and wife Deneve; grandchildren, Mackenzie Gross and husband Kyle Cohick, Colin Gross, Evan Albert, and Gillian Albert; and many nieces and nephews.

The family is grateful for her joy, her energy and her love for life that she inspired in others. She did not wish for a service, but if you are inclined, feel free to make a donation in her name to breast cancer research to bring an end to this devastating disease.

West Family Funeral Services is honored to be serving Mrs. Albert’s family. Condolences may be offered to the family under her obituary at www.westfamilyfuneralservices.com.