Richard Howard Sharp, age 72, of Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts passed away peacefully on September 4, 2024 at Falmouth Hospital after a hard-fought battle with bladder cancer. He leaves behind his beloved wife Linda, daughter Ashley Sharp (Pompano Beach, FL), grandson Jacob Sharp Hileman (Pompano Beach, FL) and sister Sandra Schultz (Plymouth, MA).
Rick, aka “Sagamore Rick” was born on May 8, 1952 in Abington, PA, to Louise and Bob Sharp (dec.) and grew up in Cranston, Rhode Island. He has been part of the photographic arts since high school in the 1960s. He worked at a local camera store as a teenager, had his own darkroom, and was on the high school yearbook and newspaper. He also earned his Eagle Scout badge in high school. That interest continued through to Ithaca College where he was in charge of all newspaper darkroom activities. Rick earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and never lost the feeling for photography. While at Ithaca, he was able to capture some of the only photographs of Ozzy Osborn’s first US performance, because of a snow storm- he was the only photographer there! His photography also landed on some original Orleans “Dance with me” and other record covers while in College in Upstate NY.
After graduation, Rick moved to Connecticut to work in the school yearbook
photography industry. He also became the official photographer for the Hartford Civic Center and the Hartford Whalers NHL hockey team. Rick was one of the first photographers in the USA to sport a 300mm f2.8 manual focus lens as well as using indoor strobes. During the ‘80s Rick had mentorships with noted photographers, including portrait giant Tibor Horvath of Toronto, the master of commercial lighting Dean Collins, and with the creative genius of Robin Perry who was a neighbor in CT. He was asked by the CT Housing Authority to create a video of the housing projects in inner city Hartford; he chose Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” and timed, impactful photographs of the children, the drug use, the crime, and over lack of safety in order to ultimately get new regulation pushed through for Housing and Urban Development throughout the state.
When he was not photographing a tour, sport or other event, Rick was a school photographer. He spoke of how proud he was that there are about “¼ million smiling faces on refrigerators and in frames throughout New England because of me!”
In 1986 Rick became involved with the PGA and LPGA golf tours, having covered more than 600 of their events in almost all 50 states, and abroad at the Solheim Cup. Rick was the official Legends of the LPGA tour photographer where he often would bring Ashley along as she was growing up. He captured iconic moments of some of the greatest names including Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam, Kathy Whitworth the Shark of course- Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Nick Price, Payne Stewart, to name only a few in his career spanning 4-decades in golf. He exclusively shot transparency film which was used by the tours and their corporate sponsors. He spent many years as the official photographer for “The Vinny Charity Golf Championship” in Nashville, where he was a regular guest at Vince Gil and Amy Grant’s home, always taking great photos for their family and legendary music friends. No one could find a more fun, interactive, jovial way to get a crowd together for a smile and quick photo quite like Rick.
In the mid-1990s the digital age burst on the scene. Rick was a beta tester for the first digital camera which was the Kodak 610x camera.
In his retirement years, Rick enjoyed his new found love with Linda, also a photographer; spending time in Florida and the Cape with his grandson- introducing him to the Mayflower and the long Sharp Revolutionary War history; and he reveled in creating funky fine art and digital images. He experimented with emerging photographic and mobile device applications. Rick’s work has won many awards at regional art galleries. He also loved entertaining on the Cape with his often hilarious and also helpful weather reports as “Sagamore Rick.” A lifelong NE Patriots’ fan and after photographing Lou Holtz, South Carolina Gamecock fan, he loved all sports, but his favorite was watching Jacob’s Little League Baseball! He will be dearly missed by all whose lives he touched.
Rick’s vision, now interrupted, includes completing two projects he was passionately working on to document his legacy:
(1) Project 23. 50 Years ago, Rick’s "SomeDay" project began. The Project 23 concept involved his ability to retain intact this collection of images, as well as the original 11x14 hand developed prints. His team has been going back to Providence RI with the goal to hopefully find some of these individuals and maybe photograph them again. This would allow, with their permission, a display of the new images alongside the originals as part of a traveling national exhibition of 24"x36" custom enlargements. Viewers will be left to their own interpretation as to how the visual arts are so special in our lives. Donations to this project can be made at project23.website.
(2) Publish a book of his golf images of the many players whom he worked with for so many years.
Rick’s friends, colleagues and Linda are collaborating to bring Rick’s projects to fruition. If you would like more information and/or the opportunity to contribute to these projects, please contact Linda at [email protected].
Rick will be buried at sea on September 22, 2024. A Celebration of Life will be held privately.
Rick’s work is online: www.Ricksharp3.biz and Facebook: Rick Sharp