Janie Sharon Noorda

Janie Sharon (Datwyler) Noorda, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, daughter, and friend, passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on January 29, 2025, holding the hands of both of her youngest daughters. In the days prior, she had been surrounded by all her children. Then, after having honorably fulfilled her earthly mission, she returned in glory to her Heavenly Father, and to her beloved eternal companion, Norman. Sharon was the embodiment of love, and while she will be deeply missed by us, she is now sharing her love with family and friends who preceded her to Heaven.

Born on December 7, 1935, in Logan, Utah, to George Albert Datwyler and Lizzie Melba (Roskelly) Datwyler, Sharon was the third child and first daughter in her family. Cherished (she would playfully add: tormented) by her older brothers, Sharon embraced her role as the only daughter, blending frilly and crafty activities with her mother, and carpentry and plastering with her father. The family moved throughout northern Utah as her father built custom homes, finally settling in Salt Lake City when Sharon was eleven. She graduated from East High School in 1954 and continued her education at both the LDS Business College and the University of Utah. While working as an executive secretary in Salt Lake City, she met Norman Noorda, who would become the love of her life.

Sharon and Norm's love story began on the ski slopes in Cottonwood Canyon. The details of that first encounter vary: Mom said that Dad crashed into her. Dad’s version is that she crashed, and then rolled up in a ball of snow right onto his feet. Regardless, her beautiful green eyes looked up out of that fluffy pile of snow into his kind blue eyes, and an incredible, warm, life-long love story was ignited. Norm and Sharon were married and sealed on April 20, 1956, in the Salt Lake City Utah Temple. They welcomed their first son in 1957. A year later they moved to Chicago for Norm's dental school, where two more children were born. After graduating in 1962, they moved back to Salt Lake where another baby was born. Finally, in 1963, the Noorda family settled in Las Vegas, where they put their roots down deep into the desert soil of Nevada, and three more children were born into the family.

Sharon and Norm, accompanied by their complete family of seven children, built a welcoming home in Las Vegas that became a haven of kindness, generosity, and love. There they forged lifelong friendships, with Norm providing the endless fun, and Sharon providing kindness and encouragement, and the bandaids! We are convinced that these wonderful, strong and close knit friendships, woven and bonded tightly into the fabric of their mortal lives, will last forever into the eternities.

Sharon and Norm served faithfully in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, impacting countless lives, both young and old, through their dedication and service. From 2000 to 2002, they served for two years as Public Affairs Missionaries in West Africa, based in Accra, Ghana, where they were deeply loved by the people they served.

Sharon's fun love for the color pink has become a delightful trademark. From clothes and accessories, to a pink water ski, and even a pink motorcycle, she embraced her favorite color wholeheartedly! Her password was often "Pink Angel”; a fitting monicker for her gentle, loving soul.

Among the many titles she cherished most throughout her life, Sharon's favorites were: wife, sweetheart, mom, mommy, and grandma. Her defining trait was love, and everything she did was motivated by it. She loved people, places, activities, holidays, and especially her family. We will always remember Mom as the embodiment of love. She loved us, and we all knew it then, …and we still do today!

Mom is now an angel, …a pink one, to be exact!

Janie Sharon Noorda is survived by her seven children: Carey (Cindy) Noorda, Stephanie (Ron) Rodriguez, Todd (Lisa) Noorda, Joni (Jeff) Davis, Jeff (Sherry) Noorda, Brett (Valerie) Noorda, and Jennifer Hall. She leaves behind a growing legacy of 30 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren. Including all of the grafted in in-law kids and in-law grandkids, and with the recent announcements of even more great grandchildren on the way, Sharon’s posterity now numbers well over 100!

Sharon was preceded in death by her husband Norman Noorda; her parents, George Albert Datwyler and Lizzie Melba (Roskelly) Datwyler; and her two brothers, George LeRoy Datwyler and Darry LaVar Datwyler.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, February 8, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapel at 2701 E Pebble Road, Las Vegas, NV 89074. A viewing for friends and family will be from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM, followed by a family prayer. The formal funeral services will begin at 11:00 AM. Further details and a livestream of the services can be found on the Palm Mortuary website at DignityMemorial.com, search for Noorda.