Sharon Grive

When Sharon Grive walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Sharon was and how she impacted those around her. Sharon was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Sharon wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Sharon was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

She was the daughter of George Ball and Agnes Longan Ball. Sharon was raised in California. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Sharon might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Sharon was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Sharon was raised with one sister, Carol Bird. Sharon was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Sharon was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Sharon well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

As a young girl, Sharon was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Sharon was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. She was a Girl Scout. In her spare time she liked Crafts. Sharon had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

During her high school years, Sharon responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from Vellejo High School in 1959. Sharon was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Sharon absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Sharon, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Sharon a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Her favorite class in high school was English.

On October 20, 1979 Sharon married Clifford A. Grive at Garden Grove Chapel of Anaheim, California. Sharon's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Clifford's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Sharon was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

Sharon was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Sharon, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Grive home. Sharon's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Sharon was blessed with seven children: Michael, Sherri, Diane, Dana, Allison, Paula and Chris. They were also blessed with grandchildren , Cassandra, Garrett, Nick, Brittany, Garrett, Ashley and Luke as well as one great grandchild, Lily.

Because Sharon loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were Crafting, Walmart, Shopping, Crochet and Reading. Sharon had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Sharon's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Sharon derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Sharon was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Sharon loved Rams Football.

Throughout her life, Sharon was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Sharon seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Sharon usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. In high school, Sharon was a member of the Missing Children Foundation.

Sharon's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Sharon took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included going to Oklahoma to visit her grandchildren.

Sharon was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Frasier, a cat, was a best friend for ten years. Her family was rounded out by her Tango, Cash, Toby and Keyo.

She adapted and, like everything in her life, made it satisfying. Because she was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Sharon to master. In retirement, she found new pleasure in shopping, sewing and Lifetime Movies. Even in retirement, Sharon continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Sharon Grive passed away on March 20, 2012 at Penrose Main Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She fought a brave battle against Ovarian Cancer. She is survived by her husband, Clifford; her children, Paula and Chris; her grandchildren, Cassie, Garrett, Nick, Brittany, Garrett, Ashley, Luke; and one great grandchild, Lily. Services were held at Memorial Gardens Funeral Home Chapel. Sharon will be laid to rest at Memorial Gardens Main Mausoleum.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Sharon. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Sharon Grive for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Sharon was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.