Sharon Lynn Watson

On Feb. 22, 2016, at two thirty-three am our beloved Sharon (Sherry) Lynn Watson joined family members, who went before her, in heaven. At two thirty-four she was dancing and seeing all the beautiful sights with brand new eyes.                                    

Born June 4, 1949, in La Porte Indiana, Sherry was a resident of Pico Rivera, California, Eagle Mountain, California, Bullhead City, Arizona and (currently) Twin Falls, Idaho.  She was a single mother who raised her two small boys to be wonderful men, and oh, how she loved her boys!  At the time in her life when she was looking forward to doing all the new things that come after your kids are raised, her life was forever altered by a devastating fire.  But even that didn’t stop her.  Sherry fought harder to hang on to life than anyone can ever imagine.  I have never known anyone with more lust for life than she had.  Despite being tragically disfigured, blind and in constant pain she attended the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls Idaho, where she received her degree in criminal justice.  In 2002 she was selected by Coca Cola company to run the Olympic torch and given the honored position of relighting the torch from its overnight resting cauldron and sending it on its way.  She was one of the most patriotic people I know and she was so excited and deeply honored.  Sherry spent most of her Thanksgivings serving dinner to the homeless in Twin Falls.  If all that wasn’t enough, feeling as though she had more to give, she became a foster parent.  From the moment she took September into her home she accepted and loved her as her own daughter to the very end.

Sherry spent twenty-four years fighting an unimaginable battle and she fought even with her final breath.  She had a brilliant mind that even the fire could not diminish. She inspired every single person she came in contact with and touched more lives than can be counted.  Everyone who cared for her came to love her. Laura Anderson started out as her caregiver but became her best friend and was there for her until the end.  She had amazing strength and endured more pain and suffering than any human being should ever have to endure.  There were so many times all she had to do was give up and it could have all been over but those two words were not in her vocabulary, so she fought on. Every time she questioned if it had been worth the battle she remembered all the wonderful things she would have missed if she had not hung on.  She was smart, funny, stubborn and loyal and, though her body finally gave out, her unbreakable spirit will live on in all of us who had the privilege to know her. She was well loved and will be forever missed.

Sherry was preceded in death by her father Harley Raines, mother Charlotte Raines, brother Roger Raines, daughter-in-law Glenna Scholl Watson, nieces Leslie Raines and Evie Raines, and nephew-in-law John Malmquist .

Sherry is survived by two sons Ken (Jennifer) Watson of WA, Joe Watson of AK, daughter September (Lance) Swinney of AZ, sisters Shamen Starr of AZ, and Lorelei Hunter of CA, eight grandchildren, Kennon ,Sydney and Lauren Watson, Alyssa Owyen, and Griffin Owyen all of WA, Arizona, Opal and Dakota Swinney of AZ, one great-grandchild Maci Chavez of WA, one sister-in-law Donna Raines of CA, many nieces and nephews Roger (Shelly) Raines Jr. of CA, Faith Raines of CA., Jennifer Pritchett of IN, Gerald Finley ,Scotty (Veronica) Finley, James Hunter of CA, great nieces and nephews Amanda, Charlene, Mark and Chloe Raines of CA,  Chance Hood of CO, Mercedes of NY, Lane and Ian Pritchett of IN, Issaya, Ayden, Tanner, Kiele, Kailani, Kassidy and Kaeson Finley of CA.