Background
She was born in Oakland, California, on December 10, 1944, a twin daughter of Senator Charles Harting Percy (1919—2011) and Jeanne Valerie Dickerson, who died in 1947.
She was born in Oakland, California, on December 10, 1944, a twin daughter of Senator Charles Harting Percy (1919—2011) and Jeanne Valerie Dickerson, who died in 1947.
She earned a Bachelor"s degree at Stanford University and later studied at Morris Harvey College and West Virginia Wesleyan College.
Her twin sister Valerie was murdered in 1966 at the family home by a mysterious intruder. Sharon married John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV (born 1937) in 1967. He is the son of John Davison Rockefeller III (1906—1978) and Blanchette Ferry Hooker (1909—1992) of the Rockefeller family.
As First Lady of West Virginia, she promoted the Public Broadcasting Service, helped establish a centralized system to assist mentally handicapped children, and founded Mountain Artisans, a quilting business for low-income artisans.
She also campaigned to lower utility costs and to improve care for the elderly. After Jay was elected to the United States Senate in 1985, she became Chief executive officer of WETA-television in Washington, District of Columbia The Rockefellers live in Northwest district of Washington, District of Columbia and retain their permanent residence in Charleston, West Virginia.
In 2005 Rockefeller was diagnosed with colon cancer, undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Her cancer has since metastasized in the bones.
Her experience prompted her to convince film maker Ken Burns to produce the documentary Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies.
She is a former member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group.