Our sweet and true sister and aunt, Sharon Louise Larsen, fondly called “Aunt Sharon”, passed peacefully on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. She was born September 24, 1938 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the daughter of Dermont “Monte” Roosevelt and Helen Louise Dougherty Larsen.
Aunt Sharon valued education. She attended Highland Park Elementary, Irving Jr. High and South High School, then continued her studies at the University of Utah, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Education, and began her 28-year career teaching history and sociology at Granite High School. After earning her master’s degree from the University of Utah she taught special education at Central and Evergreen Jr. High Schools.
Aunt Sharon was a devoted daughter who spent many years caring for her parents. She loved her extended family as her own. We, her nieces and nephews, cherished her and were greatly blessed to have her love and support.
For many years, following the guidance of our latter-day Prophets, she was a true example for emergency preparedness not only for herself but for her larger family. Her father built and dedicated a storehouse on the family property for food and supplies that could have supplied all of us for a good stretch of time. Sharon provided funds to keep the storehouse full for many years after her parents had passed on. When the time came for her to move from her home to assisted living, she had enough toiletries which carried her through nearly 4 years with more to spare. This gives you a small idea of how prepared she truly was. Through many years her family members remember being invited to shop in the “family” storehouse during difficult times of need.
Aunt Sharon spread joy and made sure her extended family knew she loved them. She took young nieces and nephews on walks, always stopping to drop a few pinecones in the neighborhood mailbox as a reminder for the mailman to have a wonderful day. She enjoyed taking them on trips to buy new shoes and kept special books for each of them in her home labeled with their individual names.
There was always a large chocolate bar on the mantle at Christmas time for each of her nieces and nephews, and as grand-nieces and grand-nephews were born she gave them cases of diapers. Remembering their birthdays was important to her, giving them several $2 bills clipped to packages of M&M’s to recognize them for their special day.
Aunt Sharon loved her animals including several dogs and cats, and enjoyed chipmunks, birds and bugs of all kinds in nature.
Aunt Sharon taught special needs students and was caring, patient, kind and loving. She knew how to help them be successful. That teaching nature was always with her. She taught her family about gardening and food storage, and always shared gospel teachings, making sure we had the Ensign, or The Friend magazines in our homes to share with her great’s.
Aunt Sharon was always valiant in her scripture study which was a comfort for her. She was promised in her Patriarchal Blessing that as she continued to pray, the Lord would “open her eyes for her understanding”. She was grateful for and followed the promptings and thoughts given to her throughout her life.
Sharon is survived by her loving brother Brent Larsen and many cousins whom she loved dearly; her nieces and nephews Brenda Gardner (Doug), Brian Larsen (Debbie), Debi Sager (Andy) and Danny Larsen (Allison), and 30 great and 27 great-great nieces and nephews. Sharon was preceded in death by her parents and sister-in-law, Darlene Ohms Larsen.
As we say farewell to our loving “Aunt Sharon” we honor her for a life lived in service to her family. Special thanks to her neighbor, Jim Baxter, who looked in on her for many years and gave countless acts of service for her. We also thank the care teams from Wentworth Coventry Assisted Living and Utah Home and Hospice Care who provided for her daily needs and comfort.
Graveside Service and Interment
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 @ 2:00 PM
Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park
3401 S Highland Dr
Salt Lake City, Utah.
