Mary Elizabeth Sharpe was born October 23, 1885 in Syracuse, New York to William E. G. Evans and Fanny Elizabeth (Riegel) Evans. Her father died when she was young, and to support the family her mother and three sisters began a candy-making business. Eventually the chocolate and candy store did well, and Mary Elizabeth moved to New York to manage her own company "Mary Elizabeth Ltd of New York." She opened tea rooms in Boston and Newport as well. At the onset of World War I she joined up with the U.S. Food Administration and later traveled to Paris with the Red Cross to oversee the U.S. Central Diet kitchen. During the war she also published two books, one divulging her candy and chocolate?making techniques and the other detailing a collection of wartime recipes. The recipe book was reprinted during World War II to help home-makers with domestic food rationing.

After WWI Mary Elizabeth returned to her life as a successful businesswoman. At this time she was courted by Henry Dexter Sharpe, whom she had met on a horseback-riding trip out west prior to the war. They were married in 1920 and moved to Providence, the site of Brown & Sharpe, Henry Sharpe's family manufacturing business. Moving from the confines of New York City to the relatively open environment of Providence allowed Mary Elizabeth to pursue her love of gardening. She closed her own business in the mid-30's and busied herself in the cultural goings-on of Providence. She was the first to bring the Community Concert Series to Providence and was active on many arts councils and boards. Reflecting her interest in French culture, she and Henry built a French-style house at 84 Prospect Street which they named Rochambeau House. This building is now home to Brown University's Romance Language departments. Highly active in the Garden Club of America, Mary Elizabeth served in a volunteer capacity as the University landscaper during the 1940's at the request of President Henry Wriston. In 1950 Sharpe Refectory in Wriston Quad was named in honor of Mary Elizabeth and Chancellor Henry D. Sharpe.

In addition to beautifying the campus with elms, evergreens, and flowering trees, she was influential in many parks projects around the city. In 1970 she pledged $153,000 to reclaim the dilapidated waterfront area at India Point in Providence and convinced the mayor to match her funds for the project. India Point Park was dedicated in 1974. Along with her cultural good works she was also active politically. She was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1928 and 1936 and was a Republican Elector in 1932. She received an honorary degree from Bryant College in 1966 and an honorary AM from Brown University in 1950. She had one son, Henry Dexter Sharpe, Jr., who still resides in Providence and oversees his family's company, Brown & Sharpe. Mary Elizabeth Sharpe died April 4, 1985 at the age of 100.