Sharon Lee Nesseth

Sharon Lee Nesseth, born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on February 19, 1945, died in Culpeper, Virginia on Sunday, December 6, 2020. Sharon was 75 years old. She died at home, surrounded by family, of complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Sharon lived an extraordinary life throughout the United States. As an “Army Brat,” Sharon was raised in locations all over the world. She lived for a short time with her grandfather on the Navajo Indian Reservation, and in the various military assignment locations of her father: Berlin Germany, Princeton New Jersey, West Point New York, Anchorage Alaska, and nearby Falls Church Virginia. As a young adult, Sharon lived in Lompoc, California where she met Darrel, a U.S. Air Force officer; they were married in Albuquerque, and embarked on their own family adventure with assignments in metro Los Angeles, Dayton Ohio, Colorado Springs, Washington DC, and Denver. Sharon lived most of her adult life in the Colorado Springs and Denver metropolitan areas, before moving to Culpeper in 2012.

Undaunted by challenges, Sharon was a dedicated mother and achieved an impressive list of professional accomplishments. As a mother, she engrained in her children to let nothing stop you and to be your best. Sharon also lived this way. She raised three children while earning her bachelors degree in finance, to include graduating with honors from California State University-Long Beach. She served in several occupations -- an insurance salesperson in Colorado Springs; a stockbroker with Dean Witter in Colorado; a paralegal in Colorado Springs; and finally, a real estate agent in the Denver metropolitan area. Sharon’s children, Chris, an executive with Ethos Group; Margo, a veterinarian; and Emily, a career army officer and attorney, are a testament to her life’s example.

Sharon was equally passionate about her hobbies and interests. For years, she owned horses and rode competitively throughout the Rocky Mountain area. Even as her breathing required oxygen, she continued to ride and compete, with a tank strapped to her saddle. As her health prevented riding and horse care, she shifted her passion to dogs. For decades, Sharon competitively showed dogs across the country, breeding and showing miniature schnauzers and border terriers. In the end, she bred and raised over five champion dogs. Throughout both of these endeavors, Sharon developed a robust network of lifelong friendships that endured across time zones and years. Sharon’s horse and dog passion was enabled by a third passion—camping. In the many various RVs owned over the decades, Sharon traveled across America in her RV on trips to visit family, various camping adventures, and horse and dog shows.

Sharon is survived by her husband, Darrel Nesseth; two children, Christopher (Stephanie) Nesseth and Emily (Thomas) Schiffer; and eight grandchildren. Sharon is also survived by her stepmother, Anna Mae Conarty, and siblings Murray (Sandra) Conarty, Helene (Roger) Griffin, and Mickey (Paul) Perkins. Sharon is predeceased by her father, Roger Conarty; her mother, Ramona Worthington; her brother, David; and her daughter, Margo.

Sharon’s vigil will be held at 7-9 pm on Thursday, December 17, 2020 at Clore English Funeral Home, 11190 James Monroe Highway, Culpeper. Her funeral mass will be held at 11 am on Friday, December 18, 2020 at Precious Blood Catholic Church, 114 E Edmondson Street, Culpeper. She will be buried at 12 noon on Friday, December 18, 2020 at Culpeper National Cemetery, 305 US Avenue, Culpeper.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to the following charitable organizations:

Therapy Dogs International – Sharon was a member of the Welcome Waggers Chapter in Culpeper, Virginia. Please note on any check or donation, “In memory of Sharon Nesseth.” The address is Therapy Dogs International, 88 Bartley Road, Flanders, NJ 07836.

Time in a Bottle -- a charity run by Sharon’s daughter-in-law, which provides precious time to parents that are dealing with the care of their children facing threatening illness. Time in a Bottle donates cleaning services to those families to make the challenging times a little less stressful. Donations can be made at www.timeinabottle.org.