Sharon's Eulogy

Sharon was special to us in many different ways, to many different people.
She was a friend. Sharon had a gift, of being able to be a best friend to everyone at the same time. Even if you didn’t know her that well, once a person spent a little time with her, they would know, “ this is my friend.”
It’s because you could see it in her eyes. Her eyes spoke of trust. And she let you in, and listened. And trusted you back. Sharon believed that you could do it. And was happy for you when you made it happen. She loved her friends as much as they loved her. She has a lot of friends, and cherished them all individually, and invested her time and love in them all, and it showed. She wanted all her friends to shine as bright as they could!
Sharon was an athlete. She did fun runs and triathlons. She completed the Pole Pedal Paddle by herself, and also as a team member, where she won a coveted first place mug. She was a natural snowboarder, Nordic, and downhill skier. She rode motorcycles, and had a motorcycle endorsement. She was a certified scuba diver. Sharon was skilled at shooting guns.
When I first met her, Sharon had this .357 Magnum that was a gift from her Dad, and she kept it under the mattress of her bed. It was this huge revolver, and didn’t have a safety, and it definitely intimidated me. But I wanted to show her how I was a macho rancher, so I said, “let’s take that thing out to the ranch and I’ll show you how to shoot it!” And so we go out there, and I set up some beer cans filled with sand at about 20 yards out, and that gun kicked so hard, I could barely hold on, let alone hit anything. And Sharon took that gun, and was so steady, and so strong, and she hit those cans every time, and she acted like it was no big deal. I was so impressed with her!
Sharon was a worker. She loved to work, and took pride in doing a good job. I still here stories from people, of knowing her when she worked at Tradewinds here in Bend as a teenager. Everyone remembers this spunky, red haired girl with the big smile. But they also remember what a great job she did, and how she took care of each customer no matter who they were, or what they were spending. She liked to help people. People enjoyed working with her. She built relationships with her clients and co-workers that have endured to this day.
At Deschutes Brewery, she worked hard to climb the ladder. She started at the front door, like many employees do, hosting and bussing tables, and kept moving up the line. If there was a task that needed completed, you could rest assured that Sharon would take care of it. She wasn’t afraid to get in there herself, and get it done. She wasn’t going to be above anything. She had big aspirations, and had so much left to do.
Sharon was a fighter. One of the toughest people I have ever known, female or male. Both mentally and physically, as strong as steel.
Shortly after we started dating, we were downtown celebrating my 29th birthday, and as we came walking out of this bar, this big, tattooed guy is outside, sitting down, smoking a cigarette. And he makes some cat calls at her. I was a few paces ahead of her on the sidewalk, and she turns around to him, and says “what?” And then this drunken fool made the mistake of calling her a rude name. And she threw this guy down on the ground so fast, and started kicking him, and I had to run up and pull her off! And that guy was lying there on the sidewalk, and just got beat up by a girl in public, and he was lucky I came to the rescue, because she was about to finish him off!
I knew after that, that she would not hesitate to defend herself in any situation. Sharon is the person you want next to you in a sticky situation. Sharon would watch your back.
Sharon was so tough, that when she was pregnant with both our kids, she just went about her daily business like nothing was going on. She stayed at work until she was basically in labor, and delivered both of those boys without one bit of pain medication. None! Not very many women can say that these days. For Sharon, it was much more than being tough, it was the experience of childbirth. She wanted to be as much a part of it as possible, and she was, and it was amazing!
Sharon gave new definition to courage when it came time to fight cancer. She knew she was up against something big. It had already dealt her some heavy blows. But she sucked it up, and battled on. And she hardly ever complained. And she kept on living as normal a life as possible, and wanted everyone else to do the same. She was so brave! And even when she recently found out that she wasn’t going to live much longer, She kept that smile on her face, and stayed so positive, and didn’t want any pity. And it took a lot of people by surprise when she died. She had been doing so well. She wanted everyone to know that it was going to be all right. That takes courage.
I worked out at the ranch in Sisters for many years before I met Sharon, and the owner, Stosh, he kept it as his private retreat, and didn’t want me and my friends out there causing trouble when he was out of town. But when I got together with Sharon, things changed. He rolled out the red carpet for her. Come out and stay at the Ranch and enjoy yourselves! When I asked him why the change of heart, he exclaimed, “Brice, Sharon has class! That is a good woman!” And if there is ever one word to describe Sharon, that’s it: Class. She always showed class
Sharon was a really fun person to be around. As serious and conservative as she sometimes presented herself, she could turn that off like a switch, and start the party! She would lift people up with her bright smile, and bouncy hair, and fill the room with a contagious laugh. You wanted to be next to her. She made you feel good!
And her beautiful voice! Her words were like silk, and she could melt your heart with that voice. Even when she was mad, she had such a sweet sound to her voice! It was so welcoming and sincere. We will definitely all miss her voice!
Family was the most important thing in the World to Sharon.
Her Mother and Father were happy to have such a fine daughter. She brought the utmost of joy into their lives. She was a Sister. She loved her little brother Dave, and they grew up the best of friends. Together their family enjoyed the many activities that we still do around Bend; camping, skiing, riding bikes, having fun in the great outdoors.
When their Mother Margaret passed away in 1989, Sharon took David under her wing, and did the best she could to help take care of the family. It made her Father proud to have a daughter that could overcome the obstacles in front of her.
As time went on, Sharon embraced the other people who have come into her life through the joining of families, new brothers, sisters, and parents. They all considered her one of their own.
Her entire family, and it’s a big one, have always given her the greatest respect, they love her so much.
Sharon was an incredible Mother. This was her calling. Women are born to nurture, but because of the loss of her own mother, it emphasized to her the importance of being there for your kids, and giving them as much love as possible. And she loved Wesley and Vincent so much, and taught them so much, and was very, very, proud of her boys. She constantly read to them, played games, and showered them with affection. And it hurt her far more than any disease, to know that they would have to grow up without her. But she gave them a lifetime of love, and laid the foundation for them that many children never get. She lives on, through their eyes.
Before we were married, On my 30th birthday, we camped on the shore of Big Lake with a group of friends, and Sharon surprised me with a handgun of my own. That and A keg of beer. And my friends saw those gifts and her generosity, and said, “you better marry her!”
And soon after, I did.
Sharon has been the best wife a man could ever know. She took care of me. she let me do whatever I wanted. She had trust in me. She believed in me. She spoiled me in every way, and I loved it! My friends were jealous I scored such an awesome wife, and it made me feel good. I returned the favor, and tried to lift her up as much as she did I. We had such a happy life.
Just a few weeks ago, we sat together and watched our wedding video, and it was so beautiful. And when it was over, Sharon turned to me, and said, “We did everything right, it all came true!” And she was right. We had kept all the promises in our vows, we had a family, we were happy and in love. It was a fairytale. Some people live to be 100, and never get to experience such fulfillment. Later that night she said to me, “It’s a love story, someone has to die.”
Sharon we miss you so much, we love you forever, you are an angel now, but have always been. Your light still shines so bright! Thank you for visiting us here on Earth….. Goodbye!