Dorothy Sharon Ahern

peacefully and unexpectedly at her home on July 14, 2025. Beloved

mother, grandmother and sister, she graced the lives of many people

through a life dedicated to her family and nursing.

Sharon’s life began on a wheat farm near St. John, Washington, in 1945, as

the third child of Lillian and George Hargrave, and younger sibling to her

sister Donna and brother Terry. At the age of four, following her parent’s

divorce, she moved with her mother and siblings to Spokane. After her

mother remarried, the family relocated several times, living in Hood River,

Oregon; Harrison, Arkansas; and Rand, Colorado. Sharon returned to

Spokane for sixth grade, later attending University High School in the

Spokane Valley. She married her sweetheart, Thomas Grasser, and they

moved to southern California where she finished her high school

education. Calling Glendora home, Sharon and Tom became proud

parents of two children, Thomas, Jr. and Sherrie. Sharon found deep joy

for life in California which was centered on a love for family picnics and

beach days on the Pacific coast near their home. During this time, she

discovered her lifelong passion for nursing and a relentless pursuit of

knowledge. Sharon was a graduate of Citrus College in Glendora,

California, and thrived in her studies, making the Dean’s list. Upon

graduation, as a licensed nurse, LPN, her passion for offering skilled care,

especially in emergency settings, was exemplary. At Queen of the Valley

Acute Hospital and Foothill Presbyterian Acute Hospital, she was a

surgical and emergency room night charge nurse and day staff nurse for

many years. She remained devoted to the profession, maintaining her

license throughout her life.

Sharon and Tom’s marriage did not survive long term. In1990, Sharon and

her second husband, Michael Ahern, moved back to Spokane to be near

her parents and family. Together Sharon and Michael welcomed two sons

into the world, Ryan and Dylan. In Spokane Sharon opened a day care

and preschool, nurturing children with the same care she brought to

nursing. In 1995, she founded an adult care skilled nursing facility

continuing to use her medical skills and compassion in service to others.

In 2001, Sharon entered a time of suffering that changed her life, when her

beloved daughter Sherrie passed away in California, after a struggle with

breast cancer. This time of sorrow marked her profoundly and remained

with her always. Sharon was able to find solace in her lake home at Twin

Obituary for Dorothy Sharon Hargrave Ahern

Lakes, Idaho. There she welcomed family for days filled with fishing,

swimming and especially boating. She divided her time between the lake

and city life in retirement, beginning in 2021.

Sharon was a talented artist known for her beautiful oil paintings and

stained-glass creations. She enjoyed doing arts-based research. At the

time of her death, she was studying the life of Dutch master Vincent van

Gogh and was about to begin a copy of his renowned painting, “Starry

Night”.

Sharon is survived by her three sons: Thomas (Judy deceased) of

Temecula, California, Ryan and Dylan both of Spokane. She was a loving

grandmother to her five grandchildren: Shawnie, Trevor, Courtney, Jacob

and Hannah. She is also survived by her brother Terry (Christina), and two

sisters, Diana (Homayoun) and Donna (Michael deceased), as well as

many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her beloved

daughter, Sherrie, her daughter-in-law, Judy, and her parents, Lillian and

George Hargrave.

The funeral will be held at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at

Advent Lutheran Church, 13009 E. Broadway Ave., Spokane Valley,

followed by a celebratory reception at the church. There will also be a

prior graveside service on the same day at 12:30 pm at Pines Cemetery,

1402 S. Pines Rd. Spokane Valley. Suggested memorial donations: “In

Memoriam Sharon Hargrave Ahern” to the Youth Education Fund at Pacific

Northwest Museum of Art, Spokane.

Online link: https://sales.northwestmuseum.org/Donation.aspx?

CR=EDEDU