realtor with Red Carpet Real Estate Company where she was named "Realtor of the Year." She volunteered her time on several boards and committees including the United Way, Antelope Valley Hospital Gift Foundation, Antelope Valley Crime Task Force, Healthy Homes Advisory Council, and Care Net, a pregnancy resource center. She also spent five years on the board of directors for the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce. In 1998, California Governor Pete Wilson appointed Runner to serve on the Antelope Valley Fair board of directors, where she oversaw the operations of the 50th Agriculture District and managed its multimillion-dollar budget. She held this position until 2002. She was involved with her church, Grace Chapel Church in Lancaster, for over 30 years. Awards and recognitions In 2013, Runner was awarded the Marian Bergeson Lifetime Achievement Award for her work helping women run for office. In November 2014 Runner received the Spirit of Leadership Award by the Scleroderma Foundation of Southern California for her advocacy in increasing funding to find a cure for Scleroderma. Personal life She married George Runner in 1973. They had a son, Micah, daughter-in-law, Sandy, daughter, Rebekah (who serves in the U.S. Coast Guard), son-in-law, James, and four grandchildren. Through her marriage, Runner was an aunt to Major League Baseball player Casey Fien. Health and death Runner was diagnosed with the limited systemic form of scleroderma, an autoimmune disease affecting her lungs, in 1984 at the age of 30. On February 24, 2012, Runner underwent a successful double-lung transplant at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. She was released from the hospital ten days later. To focus on her recovery, Runner decided not to seek re-election in the 2012 race for the California Senate. Runner was a member of the Scleroderma Foundation's Legislative Committee, where she worked to obtain federal funding for scleroderma research. She also sat on the Advisory Committee for Sierra Donor Services, a donor procurement organization in Sacramento, California. Runner worked and connected regularly with lung transplant patients. In 2014, she was selected as a rider on the 11th annual Donate Life Rose Parade Float along with 29 other donor recipients. Runner died at her home on July 14, 2016, due to "respiratory complications." References External links Official Senate web site Official Campaign web site Join California Sharon Runner 1954 births 2016 deaths American Christians American real estate brokers Antelope Valley College alumni Businesspeople from California Republican