Sharon Wells Prestegaard

Born May 23, 1944, in Melrose Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Sharon was the fourth of ten children of Harold and Byrtle Wells. At the age of 5 the family moved to Belleville, Wisconsin, where Sharon and her siblings grew up working on the family’s dairy farm. Those years gave her a love of family, community, and hard work that never left her. She cherished her annual trips back to Belleville for family reunions, and renewing old high school friendships through connections at school reunions, attending every year she could.

Sharon inherited from her parents a deep love of learning and reading. Though her parents had not completed school beyond eighth grade, they instilled in their children the importance of education. Sharon carried this forward by building a home library and passing along her love of books to her daughter Ingrid and her grandchildren and now her great grandchildren as well.

At 18, Sharon set out on her own adventure and landed in Colorado Springs. She and her friend Kay enjoyed their “single girl life” together, and Sharon soon began working as a bank teller at Colorado Springs National Bank. With her diligence and warmth, she was promoted to executive assistant to the bank president. During this time, she met an army officer stationed at Fort Carson. 2nd LT Douglas Prestegaard. LT Prestegaard asked Sharon & Kay who wanted to attend the formal dress blue dinner & the rest is history. They were married in 1971 and shared 54 wonderful years together.

As an Army wife, Sharon moved wherever duty called, building a warm home and raising their daughter, Ingrid. Once Ingrid was older, Sharon began working as a computer technology teacher at an at-risk school, where she delighted in helping children discover their potential. At age 40, driven by her passion for learning, Sharon returned to school and earned her master’s degree from Alabama A&M University Summa Cum Laude. She went on to spend over 20 years as a licensed Speech Language Pathologist, working in rehabilitation and geriatrics, a career she genuinely loved.

Family was Sharon’s greatest joy. At 48, she embraced her role as a grandmother with open arms. Affectionately calling herself the “grandma taxi,” she spent countless hours driving her grandchildren to activities, using that time in the car to connect, listen, and laugh with them. She attended school events, taught them how to research and author reports, and encouraged curiosity in every form. She also gave them the gift of travel, taking them along on trips to Alaska, Costa Rica, Panama, England, France, and Italy. Seeing the world — and sharing it with family — was one of her greatest passions.

In 2002, Sharon & Doug made their final move to Tampa Florida to be near Ingrid & Philip and Nick, Emily & Ashley. Sharon never particularly enjoyed the beach, so it was a great surprise to find she loved Florida life. She particularly loved Honeymoon Island Beach & visited often to walk the shores and enjoy the waves while she read.

Sharon & Doug made sure their Tampa home was the designated family party home, hosting friends & family for pool parties, boating and casual dinners. Sharon spoke of how Ingrid & Philip and Nick, Emily, & Ashley brought wonderful friends with them that quickly became family. She often marveled at how spending evenings around the pool discussing life with young souls kept her young and brought her the best 20 years of her life. She was in awe of what a joy it has been to see them grow and become amazing people.

Another surprise in her life was an amazing group of women, Ladies in Stride. Sharon found a sisterhood in LIS. She found support and comfort in like minded ladies, most in the medical profession, committed to promoting healthy living through decreasing stress and increasing joy. She treasured their monthly calls, annual retreats, traveling and celebrating their life through Christ.

These last 8 years Sharon has reveled in her role as Great Grammy Sharon. Through births and through blessings she has loved the arrival of each of her 6 great grandchildren. Watching them grow, playing legos and dolls and most importantly, reading books brought her tremendous joy. Each little face celebrated and loved.

She is preceded in death by her parents Harold and Byrtle Wells, brothers Jonny, Harry and Bob Wells.

Sharon is survived by her husband, Douglas; her daughter Ingrid and son-in-law Philip Royster; grandchildren Ashley, Nicholas (Susan), and Emily Berger (Philip); and great-grandchildren Jaxson, Juliette, Jameson, Judah, Clarke, and Theo. She was also blessed with multiple “bonus grandchildren” -Troy, Matt, Samantha, Yasmeen, and Zainab-who enriched her life with their presence and love. Sharon is further survived by her sisters Janet (Dean Olson) and Jeanne (Richard Anderson); her brothers Jimmy (Wes), Jack (Beth), Terry, and Rick; her sisters-in-law Ann Prestegaard and LuAnn Prestegaard; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends too numerous to count.

Sharon lived a full and generous life, marked by resilience, compassion, and a love for family and learning. She will be remembered for her wisdom, her laughter, her adventurous spirit, and the way she made each person feel valued. Her legacy lives on in the countless lives she touched.

Sharon wanted to especially thank her friends and family who took the time to call, text, and visit during her illness. These moments brought her great joy and were bright lights during a difficult time. Ever the optimist, she joked that she was having her own going-away party. She especially treasured gathering with her therapy friends, sharing stories, laughter, and a meal at her longtime favorite restaurant, Tampa’s Yummy House.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to our local library at https://foltampa.org/donate/ or to fund care & upkeep of Sharon’s favorite beach, Honeymoon Island at https://www.friendsoftheislandparks.org/donate2.

In keeping with Sharon’s wishes, a Celebration of Life will be held with a short prayer service followed by an afternoon family friendly cocktail party— with music, art, and books to enjoy and discuss, just as she loved.

Please join us at BluVu Room at The Westin on Saturday November 29, 2025, at 2-4pm to remember her spirit and love of life.