Sharon Lyst died Sept. 21, 2021. 

Lyst graduated from Monticello High School in 1952, attended Purdue from 1952-54, transferred to IU and graduated from the School of Journalism in 1956. At IU, she met John "Jerry" Lyst, who she would marry in 1956. He was the former editorial page editor of The Indianapolis Star.

She worked as a summer reporter for The Monticello Herald-Journal while in high school and college. After college, she was a reporter for The Lafayette Journal-Courier in Lafayette. She later taught preschool.