Sharesa Anne Thompson Larsen Obituary (1984 - 2019)

On September 24, 2019 our beloved mother, wife, sister, daughter and friend passed into eternity at her home in Murray Utah at the age of 35. She died in the arms of her loving husband and surrounded by her family after a four year journey of refinement through the trial of metastatic inflammatory breast cancer. Born March 25, 1984 in American Fork Utah to William and Tracy Thompson, Sharesa spent the majority of her childhood years in Meridian, Idaho after a short time in Utah, Washington, and California. The second child of four, her childhood years were filled with beauty and fun, though not without the typical challenges of youth. During these years Sharesa developed her great love for card games, board games and puzzles all shared with family and friends. Sharesa loved sharing treats with family; having quite a sweet tooth. She was once found as a baby eating handfuls of sugar from a 25lb bucket that she had discovered. For years she was convinced that any dessert with fruit in it could not in fact be qualified as a dessert. Family trips to many parts of the country were some of the highlights of her youth. Trips with a wide variety of extended family to Disneyland and Walt Disney World were particularly memorable and special to her. In her childhood and adult years music was an important part of Sharesa’s life and a great joy to her. Supported by her loving parents she worked hard to master her skill at the piano and became an accomplished player and teacher while still in her youth. She could be found nearly every morning practicing away at the piano with her headphones on, often before anyone else had been up. She taught piano and musical literacy throughout her life and has blessed countless children in this work, most notably her own. She often played the organ for worship services and enjoyed serving in this way. Sharesa loved to sing and was a member of many choirs. She most enjoyed her high school Jazz Choir and her participation in the Messiah as a young adult. Throughout her life Sharesa was dedicated to her health. Active in athletics, she loved to be outdoors and often would remark on the beauty of God’s creation and the love she felt for and from such. She particularly loved to run and participated in meets and races throughout her life, most enjoyable for her was the Three Capes Relay which she ran with a team of close friends and family including her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. She loved to hike and backpack with friends and family, finding great joy in introducing her children to the beauty of the earth. She participated in and won numerous exercise and nutritional challenge programs and further helped and encouraged many other family and friends to follow a similar path toward lasting health. Sharesa was incredibly dedicated to her education and lived a life of constant and energetic learning, never passing up an opportunity to learn something new. She was known as a voracious reader throughout her life and could often be found enjoying a good book. After her elementary schooling, Sharesa attended Eagle High School near her Meridian, Idaho home where she formed many life-long friendships and memories. In 2000 upon winning the Aeronautics & Space Science Journaling competition she lead a group that represented the state of Idaho on a trip to Washington D.C.. After High School Sharesa attended BYU in Provo, Utah where she studied Social Work. She worked nearly full time in the admissions office there for the first two plus years of college. Later she worked as an advocate at a Provo adoption agency. This was followed by additional experience at the Provo city community action center. She completed her four year degree in only three years without incurring any debt. In the summer of 2003, at the wedding of a mutual friend Sharesa met her “Esposo” Creed Larsen. After a short long-distance courtship they were married in the Salt Lake City Temple on February 14, 2004. Together in 2005 they graduated from BYU and soon moved to Pleasant Grove, Utah where their first child was born. Later moves would take the family to Springville Utah and then to Battleground Washington where the other four children were born and where she built a home of beauty, spirit and love. She found particular joy in homeschooling her older three children and establishing in them a love of learning. Through her service and example they also learned to love the Lord and their family. This was a beautiful time of family, fun, and friendship. It was while in Battleground in December 2015 that Sharesa was diagnosed with cancer and began a monumental journey and trial with the love and support of her family. Throughout her life and particularly through her illness Sharesa developed and exhibited a singularly deep and abiding faith in The Lord Jesus Christ. Through constant prayer, service, teaching, study, and love she lived a life of true discipleship. In her last four years after diagnosis she pushed herself to complete her goals of serving, teaching, testifying, and nurturing all those around her in the love of The Lord, even as she humbly allowed others to serve her. She was particularly dedicated to her goal of visiting and doing family ordinance work in all 17 of the temples in Utah, a goal she completed in 2018. Her relationship with The Lord and her family were and are her most prized possessions for which she literally gave her all. She testified through action and word of a kind and loving Lord whom she heard, saw and knew personally and intimately. Hers was a sure knowledge shared in the testimony of pure love to all around her. Sharesa is remembered for… - Her bravery in facing disappointments, most notably three miscarriages and terminal cancer - Her patience with the weakness and strugglings of others as well as her own - Her incredible scrapbooking creations that have artfully preserved so many memories - Her bright and smiling eyes - Her bouncy excitement for life and love - Her energetic play with her children, so filled with fun and love - Her love of mint chocolate chip and cookies and cream ice cream - Her giving heart, always carrying cash ready to give to the needy without judgement - Her nurturing nature and willingness to sacrifice for the blessing and benefit of others - Her strong and determined will, living life with a zeal for progress and growth - Her legacy of love so deliberately and carefully prepared in support of her loved ones in anticipation of her passing - Her testimony of Her Lord and Savior as a real, relatable and approachable partner in life, love and death Sharesa is survived by: Creed S. Larsen (Husband), Sarah E. Larsen (Daughter), Madalynn E. Larsen (Daughter), William C. Larsen (Son), Emma T. Larsen (Daughter), Ellinor J. Larsen (Daughter), William N. Thompson (Father), Tracy Thompson (Mother), W. Nathan Thompson (Brother), Shelli Thompson (Sister In-Law), Kirsten L. Grant (Sister), Cameron Grant (Brother In-Law), Chad C. Thompson (Brother), Leah Thompson (Sister In-Law), Eric J. Larsen (Brother In-Law), Kendra Larsen (Sister In-Law), Benjamin G. Larsen (Brother In-Law), Allison Larsen (Sister In-Law), EmmaLee Larsen (Sister In-Law), Valerie Larsen (Sister In-Law), Ellen Irion (Sister In-Law), Russell Irion (Brother In-Law), Nieces and Nephews: (Tyler, Alan, Cooper, Scott, Jack, Marc, Finn, Samuel, Thomas, Lucille, Evelyn, Rachel, Parker, Kinsley, Hadley, Adelaide, Gwyneth, Catharine, Porter, Bryce) Memorial Arrangements for Sharesa We will be celebrating Sharesa as outlined below ... Viewing - Sunday (Sept. 29) - 5:00-7:00 PM 1007 W. South Jordan Parkway South Jordan, UT. 84095 Viewing - Monday (Sept. 30) - 9:30-10:30 AM 619 W. 5750 S. Murray, UT. 84123 Funeral - Monday (Sept. 30) 11:00AM 619 W. 5750 S. Murray, UT. 84123 Sharesa will be interred at… Elysian Burial Gardens 1075 East 7580 South Millcreek, UT 84117 Thank You... We would like to publicly thank all those who have served and cared for Sharesa and her family over these past four plus years of trial, those who continue to care for them, and all those who will care for them in the future. You know who you are and we love you! Memorial Giving In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to: The Sharesa Larsen Children's Memorial Fund http://www.plumfund.com/memorial-fund/sharesalarsen-children-memorial --- “Were the bands of death broken and the chains of hell which encircled about her, were they loosed? … Yea, they were loosed, and her soul did expand, and she did sing redeeming love.” (Alma 5:9) “Share Love!!!” - Sharesa