Carol Nan (Sharp) Cowley

Carol was born in Nampa, Idaho, and passed away after her battle with dementia on February 5, 2019 in Portland, Oregon with her three daughters by her side. A memorial service will be held March 22, 2019, at 1pm, Portland First Church, 6100 SW Raab Road, Portland, OR. Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Guy and Mary Leah Sharp and her husband, Clifford Cowley. Carol is survived by her two sisters; Harriet (Ferd) Van Deursen of Olympia, WA and Joan (Harold) Latter of Nampa, ID, and her daughters; Karen (Dan) Hassman of Cedarburg, WI, Lynne (Gary) Moyer of Beaverton, OR and Brenda (Dan) Colench of Olympia, WA, as well as eight grandchildren; Jacob (Rachel) Hassman, Conner (Ashley) Hassman, Spencer (Rachel) Hassman, Emma Hassman, Joe Bevens, Jackson (Allie) Bevens, Kerstin (Marc) Sandoz, Alex Moyer and two great grandchildren; Nolan Hassman and Rozlynn Hassman.

Carol was a music major graduate of Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. She was a pianist and a vocalist. While in college she sang the soprano solo in the Messiah oratorio, sang on the radio and traveled with various ensembles. She loved her time at NNU and met her husband Cliff there. They graduated and eventually moved to Portland, Oregon where they raised their three daughters. They were very active in their church both with music and ministries. Carol considered it a gift to be able to be a full time homemaker raising their girls and she was very active in everything that interested her daughters. Her passion was people. And she held tight to she and Cliff’s close set of best friends. She regularly opened her home to strangers, family and friends, and sitting at her dining room table was a joyous experience full of stories, laughter and fun. She was an encourager, loved to send cards to people, and a gift giver. She was funny, loved to laugh and especially enjoyed pulling off a good prank on someone. She was also one who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure everyone and everything was organized and managed well. She loved her grandchildren and enjoyed babysitting and going to their sports and school events.

Carol’s favorite Bible verse was Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This verse became a daily mantra as she faced breast cancer twice and even more importantly, while caring for her husband when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Carol’s devotion and commitment to her husband during those years was amazing. She was the glue as the family faced that difficult road and she held strong through it all. She had supported him in everything for 60 years and she was not going to stop until he was safe at home in heaven. We know that she did her very best for him because he did his very best for his family, and because she loved him so deeply.

After the death of her husband in 2011, life was very different, but she was so strong and began to move forward. She was able to attend her first grandchild’s wedding in Georgia and it meant so much to her. Sadly, she then began her own battle with dementia. We miss her dearly and will never understand why her last years took her further and further from us, but we trust that wherever her mind went, she was hearing God's voice saying, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation in Carol’s memory to the Carol Sharp Cowley Music Scholarship at Northwest Nazarene University. Checks made payable to Northwest Nazarene University can be mailed to NNU Office of University Advancement, 623 S University Blvd, Nampa, ID 83686, or gifts can be made via their website www.nnu.edu/give. Please make a note that your gift is in memory of Carol Cowley.