“Grandma”

Sharon Elaine  Fox was born on January 16, 1939 to Mildred E. and Kenneth B. Dennis of Pueblo, Colorado, although if you check the official records, the year of birth is recorded as 1940.  Through the years, it was a constant joke about which age she would claim – the earlier years she would choose to be the older age, and the latter years, she would pick the younger age!

Growing up, Sharon and her three siblings, James Thomas, Kenneth Blaine and Linda Sue, moved around quite a bit, but she was always surrounded by friends because she never knew a stranger.   Much of her childhood was spent dancing to the phonograph, as Sharon was known for not sitting still.

Sharon married Charles B. Fox of Stratton, Colorado and became part of a blended family – her 3 children and 5 stepchildren.  She was also a mother to other displaced children.

As a young adult, Sharon entered the food service industry with vitality and high energy.  She successfully owned and managed several businesses through the years.  In 1996, Sharon transitioned from the workforce to play a vital role in raising her grandchildren for the remainder of her life. She lived with her son Jonathan Wayne and daughter-in-law Deborah in Utah for three years, helping to care for their children.  And she lived with her daughter Kimberly Sue and son-in-law Daniel for 22 years, again contributing immensely to the raising of her grandchildren.

Sharon loved to play darts, playing in and winning several tournaments.  She also enjoyed bingo and all card games.  Everyone knew she was extremely competitive and always interpreted the rules to her own advantage. She was extremely artistic, with a true talent for drawing.

With a passion for cleanliness and organization, Sharon was meticulous about many things.  Often, she could be seen teaching important life skills, like instructing people how to load the dishwasher the proper way (as in “her” way). She constantly kept things, clean, dry and picked up. Nothing was ever out of place in her home.

On July 14, 2019, Sharon was taken unexpectedly from this life by a very aggressive cancer.  She is survived by her siblings James Thomas Dennis and Linda Sue Verhine, her son and daughter-in-law Kenneth Dean and Tammy Dennis, son and daughter-in-law Jonathan Wayne and Deborah Fox, her daughter and son-in-law Kimberly Sue and Daniel Hooker; over 40 grandchildren and over 20 great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents Mildred E. and Kenneth B. Dennis and her brother Kenneth Blaine Dennis.

Sharon referred to herself as “Grandma” to everyone, thus all of her family, neighbors, friends, and their friends’ friends all called her Grandma!