or ▁and ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁Cro cs , ▁which ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁He ▁also ▁established ▁an ▁invest ment ▁firm , ▁V - T en ▁Capital ▁Part ners . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Sh arp ▁was ▁induct ed ▁into ▁the ▁Cons umer ▁Electron ics ▁Hall ▁of ▁Fame . ▁ ▁Di agn osed ▁with ▁early - ons et ▁posterior ▁cort ical ▁at ro phy , ▁a ▁rare ▁form ▁of ▁Al z heimer ' s ▁disease , ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Sh arp ▁was ▁an ▁advoc ate ▁for ▁research ▁on ▁the ▁disease . ▁His ▁grand father , ▁father ▁and ▁uncle ▁had ▁also ▁suffered ▁from ▁early - ons et ▁Al z heimer ' s . ▁Sh arp ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁Sher ry , ▁don ated ▁more ▁than ▁$ 5 ▁million ▁for ▁Al z heimer ' s ▁research ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁most ▁of ▁which ▁went ▁to ▁Joh ns ▁Hop kins ▁School ▁of ▁Medicine , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁its ▁advis ory ▁board . ▁ ▁Rick ▁Sh arp ▁died ▁from ▁posterior ▁cort ical ▁at ro phy ▁at ▁his ▁home ▁in ▁Go och land , ▁Virginia , ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 6 7 . ▁He ▁was ▁surv ived ▁by ▁his ▁wife ▁of ▁forty - five ▁years , ▁Sher ry ▁Sh arp , ▁their ▁two ▁daughters , ▁and ▁four ▁grand children . ▁ ▁References ▁