Sharon Wilson

Sharon Lea Wilson, age 72, passed away April 4, 2014, at The Denver Hospice Inpatient Care Center at Lowry. Sharon was preceded in death by her husband, John Henry Wilson, on August 21, 1991. Following John's death, Sharon and their son Gede continued living at their family home in Aurora.

Sharon was born June 24, 1941, in Pueblo, Colorado. Her parents (Stanley A. Leftwich and Betty Minnick Leftwich) were also Pueblo natives. The family (with the addition of Priscilla Ann in 1945), lived in Pueblo until moving to Littleton in 1957. Sharon had been attending Centennial High in Pueblo but jumped into events at Littleton High. She was active in chorus and in class plays, "Harvey" and "The Great Sebastians." She graduated as Salutatorian in 1959.

A Boettcher Scholar, she attended the University of Denver. At the end of her freshman year, she married Richard Schreiber. Sharon graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1963, having earned membership in Phi Beta Kappa her junior year. Her daughter, Wendy Abshire, was born in August 1963.

As happens, Sharon and Rich parted, and she married John Henry Wilson in 1966. They moved to the Pacific Northwest for a short time during which Sharon made the difficult decision that Wendy would be best served by living with Rich and his wife Marie. Sharon and John's son Gede was born in October of 1968, soon after their return to Denver he then joined the blended family which includes John's daughters Faith, Angie, Teresa, Adija, Magira, and Adin from his prior marriage . Then in the mid eighties Jnana Naqi became a second daughter to them in spirit, though never on paper. These children gave Sharon deep joy to the very end.

In the years after returning to Denver, Sharon joined John in his Masonic activities and participated in Eastern Star for a number of years. Professionally she worked as a legal secretary and legal assistant for a number of law firms in the area until her retirement from Allen & Vellone in 2007.

That autumn she and her sister Ann along with Ann's husband John traveled to see the autumn colors in upstate New York and New England, with a leisurely drive through the Shenandoah and Blue Ridge Mountains and back to Colorado. She took great pride in making it to the top of Mt. Jo in the Adirondacks near Saranac Lake.

Retirement also gave her time to pursue an interest in genealogy with trips for research and opportunities to meet long-disconnected branches of the family. She finally had time, too, for enjoying her beloved music. And season memberships to the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra gave her an excuse for frequent visits with her sister in Wyoming.

Throughout her life, Sharon wanted to change the world. She decided, though, that she would do well (and better than many) if she just brightened the corner where she lived. What a shining light she was! She would always listen sympathetically, offering love without condemnation. That is not to say that the love she offered was not tough love, if she thought it necessary. She strongly believed that people needed a hand up rather than a handout. On the other side, she had no patience for those who believe people have hard times because they are lazy. She and many she loved had struggled without making headway against the tides of unjust institutions.

Nevertheless, the righteous anger that called her to change the world was never bitterness. She saw the world as it is and loved it deeply. Those of us who knew her are blessed to have known her love.

In addition to her sister and children, Sharon is survived by numerous grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins—and many others who feel like family.

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