Sharon E. Vaughan

With the sun rising over Pickering Passage just outside of Shelton on March 7, 2018, only five days shy of her 80th birthday, Sharon Elizabeth Vaughan (née Oebser) drew her final breath.

With the sun rising over Pickering Passage just outside of Shelton on March 7, 2018, only five days shy of her 80th birthday, Sharon Elizabeth Vaughan (née Oebser) drew her final breath.

The family that loved her so much was able to bring her home to spend her final days in the beloved home she built with her husband of 53 years, Larry Vaughan. Sharon was surrounded by her loving family, her cherished little schnauzer Lizzy was by her side as well. She was calm and peaceful to the end.

Sharon Vaughan is survived by her sons Dale (Sandy), Steve (Shannon), daughters Suzanne and Karen, eight grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, her sister Margie (Don) and numerous nieces and nephews. Also surviving is Larry’s sister Sandra Schluter (Mark). She is preceded in death by her beloved husband Larry and her brother Leonard and his wife Betty.

Sharon was born on March 12, 1938, in Aberdeen, Wash. to Leonard and Deby Oebser (née McNiven). She attended grade school and junior high in Hoquiam and graduated from Montesano High School in 1956. Her sophomore and junior year in Montesano were energetic and active as Sharon was a “Song Queen” and Larry was a Football Letterman.

Sharon and Larry loved dancing together anywhere, anytime. For many years she very fondly recalled memories of slipping away with Larry to a local dive, dance club named “The Tropics” even though it had been forbidden by her strict German father. She told her children, “we didn’t drink alcohol, we just loved to dance and The Tropics always had a live band and the best dancing”. When they danced together, a crowd would gather around to watch in awe at the way they moved so in sync, so effortlessly. You only had to look to see how much they loved each other.

For many people, when they think of Sharon and Larry, in addition to their story of “true love”, “dancing” is the first memory recalled by most.

Sharon married Larry, her high school sweetheart on Dec. 17, 1955; many, many times she referred to him as, “The Love of My Life”. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary only a little more than three years before Larry’s death in 2009. Although Larry suffered mobility problems, they still managed to dance together that evening, bringing tears to the eyes of many of the people there.

As a young married couple, Sharon and Larry enjoyed “camping” on The Hoh with their young family, cooking around the campfire, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows.

After moving to Satsop in the late 1960s, Sharon joined Larry at Vaughan Company in the accounting department where she was a supportive wife and co-worker, until just weeks ago when she fell ill. As Larry said many times, “behind every successful man there is a good woman” and her support enabled Larry to follow his ambition of building the company which supported three generations and allowed many families around the world to live an independent and “better life”.

Together Sharon and Larry traveled a bit on business, around the United States and to Europe. Sharon enjoyed being able to visit her grandfather’s mother country of Germany.

Sharon gave birth to four children, but she also had a number of “unofficially adopted” children. When her own children were young, Sharon and Larry would drive the old F100 red Ford pick-up truck with the home-built wooden canopy, taxiing a load of kids to roller-skating, motor cycle racing and football and basketball games. One of these young men was known to cross the fields from two roads over just to enjoy a home cooked meal made by his “adopted” mother.

Sharon was a good cook and loved to cook for her family; Sunday dinners were always special. She also enjoyed canning fruits, vegetables, relishes and pickles.

When her children were young, Sharon became very active in 4H as a leader. In addition to being a chaperone at Lake Panhandle 4H camp, summers were often spent on the small farm outside of Satsop, readying their prized Holstein heifers to take blue ribbons and quite often Grand Champions at the local and state fairs. Sharon loved to go up far into the woods and pick “little wild blackberries”; she made the most delicious pies and jams. A frequent summertime activity was taking a car load of kids, along with her sister in law Sandra, to the swimming hole at Swinging Bridge Park; camping and picnics at Schafer State Park on the Satsop River. It was an idyllic childhood; she was a loving and devoted mother.

Sharon loved her husband, her children, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. She also loved her dogs, her home, her gardens, and the small country farm in Satsop with the big, old white farm house. She loved animals, country music, her sons football and basketball games, watching the Seahawks and chocolate ice cream.

Sharon was fiercely independent, refusing to move closer to family after losing her husband, insisting upon staying in her home and the gardens which had been their sanctuary for four decades. Together Sharon and Lizzy stood watch over the gardens, chasing away her chief nemesis – the deer – and guarding the bird feeder from marauding raccoons and squirrels.

Sharon was loved by her neighbors and “Don B-Line” who lovingly watched over her, helping ensure that independence. She was also loved by her co-workers, bringing cookies to the office on Monday mornings. She was kind and generous, very often giving to others without expectation of return.

Since Larry’s death, her constant companion was her beloved little dog Lizzy. At the time of Sharon’s death Lizzy was also gravely ill and was lost very shortly afterwards. Lizzy was cremated and will be laid to rest with Sharon, next to Larry, where they will lie together thru the ages.

The final thought of remembering our mother, sister, daughter, aunt and friend is, “She was Good” and she will be missed by many for many years to come.

We are all certain Sharon was cussing those three deer that were dining on the tender spring grass of her front lawn as she drew her last breath and joined Larry on that beautiful, warm, sunny spring morning as it was dawning over Pickering Passage.

A funeral was held Tuesday, March 20, at 1 p.m. in the Montesano Church of God, and was followed by a private graveside ceremony for the family. A reception was held at the Stay Beyond Suites in Elma. Pastor LouAnn Houle officiated the ceremony. The family would like to thank everyone for their support and kind words over the last several weeks.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, PO Box 5296 Tacoma, WA 98415-0296.