Obituary of James Henry Sharron

James (Jim) Sharron of Harrison, Idaho, passed away from cancer October 8, 2016 at Hospice House in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, with his extended family there for the last few weeks. He was born May 18, 1932 to James and Alice Sharron in Winchendon, Massachusetts. Jim lived in many states, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Iowa, California, Nevada, and Idaho. When his family moved to Mason City, Iowa he was thrilled to see countryside instead of cities. As a teenager he had three friends there who were known to be mischievous, daredevils, but still good boys. He married his first wife Lois Smith in 1950 at the age of 18 and soon had the first of three girls. Jim soon realized that Iowa was not the state to make a good living in so the family moved to California where Jim found three jobs and was better able to support his growing family, which included two more girls, then three boys, all within 7 years. They all discovered the joys of vacation camping every year. Jim became a Little League coach and all his boys were involved; then came dirt track motorcycle racing where the boys all survived with just a few broken bones. Jim and Lois divorced in 1977. Jim’s entire life included a love of cars and mechanics, anything with wheels and/or an engine. He once fixed his father’s car at age 14 that the local mechanic couldn’t fix and drove it to his father’s workplace to surprise him. It certainly did and his father told him that he drove the car here so he could drive it back home. Jim loved his dad so completely that he patterned his whole life after him. Jim was in the Navy during the Korean War and while aboard a Destroyer Ship he witnessed an atom bomb test explosion on a neighboring atoll island in the Pacific. Jim owned as many as three automotive or motorcycle businesses in California. But soon the congestion of the Los Angeles area was overwhelming and he sold everything and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. He met his second wife Karen there in 1981 and they were married on March 6, 1982. They were soul mates and enjoyed so many things alike, camping, ATV rides with overnights in the mountains, water skiing, zip-lining, white water rafting. Jim never let himself age, he continued to do everything fun that he always did before, even zip-lining for the first time three months before his death. He retired two times in Nevada from the automotive repair shop he owned, but decided in 1999 when Karen retired from working at Hoover Dam that they would move to northern Idaho on a vacant lot in a rural subdivision that they had purchased overlooking Lake Coeur d’Alene. They built their dream house on this lot. This Harrison subdivision had a community water system which Jim volunteered to be the President and Operator on the day we moved up there with our van. He was still running the system with his fellow operator Bob Bowlin when he died. Neither Jim nor Karen retired because Jim became a school bus driver for Kootenai Schools for many years while Karen became a treasurer for the St. Maries Fire Protection District. Jim was an avid member of the Elks, both in Boulder City, NV, and in St. Maries, ID where he is a Past Exhaulted Ruler. He strongly believed in helping others whenever he could. He helped at the local animal shelter and occasionally brought home cats that needed a home. His love of cats grew to six and they were all so special to him. Jim and Karen were known as “Santa and Mrs. Claus” because for many years both in Nevada and Idaho, they would choose a family or two that desperately need a Christmas gift. They would deliver the gifts in surprise to the young children and the smiles would last a lifetime. Jim is survived by his wife Karen, sister Teresa Hathcock and nephew Johnny in Cushing, TX, his three daughters Kathy Raye Clark of Salem, OR, Terry Miller of Portland, OR, Lynda Puderbaugh of Redding, CA, his step-daughter Anne Horne of Henderson, NV, and his three sons Randy Sharron of Las Vegas, NV, Gary Sharron of Goodyear, AZ, and Jeffrey Sharron of Milwaukie, OR, and step-son Nyle Kitchen of Miami, FL., and his first wife Lois Smith of Redding, CA, plus 11 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Jim was preceded in death by his brother Edward of Pahrump, NV, and his father and mother James & Alice Sharron. Jim lived a complete and thoroughly happy life, full of humor, good-nature, adventure, and love of family. He was full of integrity, leadership, honesty, and fairness, and touched so many lives, he will be missed tremendously by all who had the honor to know him. A Memorial Service will be held at the St. Maries Elks Lodge on Saturday October 29, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. the St. Maries Elks Lodge. A gathering of family and friends will follow services. Come help us celebrate his fabulous life. Visit his online memorial and sign his guest book at www.hodgefuneralhome.com