Sharon Ann Alfrey

Sharon Ann Vriens Alfrey passed away peacefully on July 10, 2020 in Centennial, Colorado. She was born on December 9, 1942 to Johanna Mellegers and Willem Cornelius Vriens in Salt Lake City, UT. She grew up in Utah and served a mission in New Zealand where she met her eternal companion, Joseph Thomas Alfrey, Jr. (Tom), who preceded her in death.

Sharon and Tom were married for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple on August 18, 1967. She and Tom raised their 4 sons and daughter in Colorado. They later moved to Great Falls, Montana with the youngest two children, where she volunteered as a tour guide at the Lewis & Clark Information Center. Sharon was a force of nature to those who knew her and never let her physical limitations define her. She lived a full life continuously serving in the Church and serving those around her. She focused on making others happy and creating laughter, despite her years of battling the physical challenges associated with Multiple Sclerosis. Her love of helping others included providing a loving home to many foster children over the years and serving as a Guardian Ad Litem for the courts, watching over children during court cases. Through this service she influenced many lives, some of whom still visited her decades later. Her kids and foster kids will remember her for saying that she was “the meanest mom ever” and telling them to always “remember who you are and who you represent.”

She is affectionately known as “Auntie Pickle” or “Grandma Pickle” by her friends and the many children in the neighborhood and church. She got the nickname “Pickle” as a baby when her dad said she looked like a “shriveled up pickle”. The name stuck and she has proudly continued with the nickname that could be heard on her voicemail any time you called to leave her a message. She enjoyed cooking, sewing and quilting and insisted that all her children learn to sew and cook. She was also fond of dressing up to tell stories and constantly bragged about her family. She loved her Dutch heritage and proudly wore her “wooden shoe” slippers at Orchard Park where she spent the last 18 months of her life. The family would like to thank Gaven and Amy and all the care givers at Orchard Park who cared for Sharon during her last months of life before returning home to her Heavenly Father. She was welcomed to heaven by her loving husband, Joseph Thomas Alfrey, Jr, her parents, Johanna Mellegers and Willem Cornelius Vriens and her brothers Leon and Bob Vriens, who preceded her in death.

Sharon is survived by her sons Trever (Danette) Alfrey, Oliver (Jen) Alfrey, Ethan (Stephanie) Alfrey, Gaven (Amy) Alfrey, daughter Katerrie Alfrey, 16 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Also survived by her siblings Bill (Heidi) Vriens, Marjorie ( Richard) Wright, Kris (Michael) Montoya, Doug (Joanne) Vriens, and brother-in-law Roger (Susan) Alfrey.

Graveside services will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, July 18, 2020 at:

Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park,

3401 Highland Dr., SLC, UT 84106.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that family, friends and well-wishers donate to one of the following charities that Sharon loved to support:

-

LDS Mission Fund. https://philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org/missionary

- Multiple Sclerosis Foundation https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate