Sharon Nadine Hermo

It is with deep sadness that we report the death of Sharon Nadine Hermo, who passed away on April 30, 2023, after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis. Her funeral will be on Monday, May 15 at 1:00, at Advantage Funeral and Cremation Services, 1515 NE 106th Avenue, Portland, Oregon. Sharon loved pink and flowers. Attendees are encouraged to dress in her honor.

Raised on a farm in Quincy, Oregon, Sharon was the first of James and Marcheta Lumijarvi’s seven children. Being the oldest of seven, Sharon helped to raise her siblings. She was active with cooking, cleaning, planting and harvesting. As her eldest sister Nina said, she was a born leader. Sharon’s humble charm made her popular throughout her life and her desire to help others had her involved in numerous charitable organizations. Her life of service may have started in Clatskanie High School, where she was member of The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls and a member of the honor society. Sharon attended Linfield College on scholarship and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education in 1964. She met her first husband, Bruce Crouser, at Linfield and they had two sons, Gregory Dean Crouser and Stephen James Crouser. Sharon had a long career as a Home Economics teacher, with some of her early years spent teaching at her Alma Mater, Clatskanie High School. Bruce’s job took the family to various places: Camas, Washington; Quincy, Oregon; Port Angeles, Washington; Antioch, California, and Queensbury, New York. She continued her teaching career in Antioch and in Granville, New York. Her first marriage ended in divorce. Working full time and raising her boys, she still found time for her community activities, attending the kids’ baseball and basketball games, and honing her gardening skills to the point of becoming a master gardener. She said “I am the happiest with my hands in the dirt”. She filled her yard with flowers and grew delicious vegetables. She was a member of local garden clubs in New York and Oregon, where she shared her passion for gardening through volunteer work. She remarried, to George Mercer, and lived many happy years in Hartford, NY. Sharon was retired and widowed when she and Quincy native, Larry Hermo, reestablished a friendship which soon blossomed into love. Sharon moved back to Oregon to be with Larry. They married in a backyard wedding surrounded by flowers she grew and people they loved. Sharon and Larry’s travels included visits to Maui, Lake Tahoe, Phoenix, Palm Springs, and NYC. Sharon and Larry shared a love of sports, especially the NY Yankees and Linfield sports. They attended many sporting events and made sure to visit Halls of Fame when they traveled. Larry delighted in greeting his wife with the term “Sweets”, as surely she was sweet. They never parted without a kiss and a “Love Ya”. While Sharon missed her friends and family in New York, she was able to spend her last years closer to her treasured friends and family in Oregon. She also developed new community, through active involvement in garden club and service organizations, like P.E.O. International, where women help other women advance through education, and the Village Movement, which coordinates critical services for older adults. Sharon is survived by her husband, Larry Hermo; her son, Steve Crouser; her son Gregory Crouser and his wife Cecilia; her grandson, August Crouser; her step-son Scott Hermo; her step-son Brad Hermo, and his children Troy, Alex, and Megan; her siblings, Nina Stennick, Lynn Jones and her husband Gary, Jon Lumijarvi and his wife Lisa, Jan Sarpola and husband Rod, and Jeff Lumijarvi and his wife Sherri; and many nieces and nephews. Sharon was predeceased by her oldest brother, Joe Lumijarvi. May Sharon’s kindness and generosity be an example to us all.