Draper, UT – On July 24, 2023, our loving wife and mother Sharron Colleen Larkin, 73, returned to our Father in Heaven. As hard as it was for her to leave her family behind, it was also a relief for Mom to stop being the center of so much attention as she fought her final battle with lung cancer. Mom preferred to focus on others and lived her life serving and uplifting those around her.

Sharron was born on March 29, 1950, in Milford, UT, to Idona Mangum and George E. Craig.  Mom moved around a lot, but it was in St. George that a young man heard her beautiful soprano voice in a choir class and knew he needed to know her.  Though she moved several times after that, their connection was undeniable, and they courted over the long distance.  Sharron married her eternal companion James Larkin in the St. George Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on August 3, 1968.  Together they made their home in Hurricane, where they raised their six children.

Sharron was a loving, creative, supportive, empathetic, and passionate woman.  To know her was to know a force to be reckoned with. Her strength of will was only matched by her generosity of spirit.  With all her talents (she was a gifted singer), interests, and abilities, Mom could have done many things with her life.  She chose to dedicate it to the Lord and to her family.  Things became difficult when her husband James had brain aneurisms. True to who she was, she pulled the family together and shepherded us in finding ways to make our home function when she needed to go into the workforce.

A lover of nature, Mom would take us camping, hiking, and experiencing the beauty of the national parks.  She taught us to appreciate the smell of the campfire, the wind in the trees, and the sounds of the river.  We would often find her, on our many outings to the mountains, soaking her feet in the stream.  Mom's dream was to have a cabin in the mountains.  She was able to see that realized the last three years of her life.

A stalwart member of the Church, Sharron worked to implement the teachings of the Savior into every aspect of her life, from charitable work to food storage, from teaching self-reliance to holding Family Home Evening and scripture study, from selflessly giving of her time and talents to forgiving those that injured her.  It was more than her simply trying to follow the principles of the gospel, it was who she was. Mom led a life of service.  She served in numerous callings ranging from Nursery worker to Relief Society President.  No matter the calling, she gave it her all, and we were all the beneficiaries.  She was deeply involved in the Scouting program and was shocked but honored to be recognized with one of the highest awards given: the Silver Beaver.

Sharron continued her lifetime commitment to service by serving with her husband as full-time Temple missionaries in Accra, Ghana.  Mom's love and commitment was felt by the people on both sides of the veil.  She had a passion for the work and continued to do genealogical and Temple work until her death.  Knowing Mom, she's actively engaged in that work and, free from the restraints poor health put on her voice, singing with Heavenly choruses.  She was deeply loved in life and will be deeply missed with her death.

Sharron is preceded in death by her grandsons: Adam and Gabriel. She is survived by her husband, James; her children: Ragun (Devin) Hathaway, Bryce (Cindy) Larkin, Jared (Ryan Pullman) Larkin, Dustin (Yolanda) Larkin, Kyle (Amie) Larkin, Raina (Kirk) Thorne; grandchildren: Jess, Tyler, Sienna, Bryson, Matthew, Tanner, London, KC, Natalia, Victoria, Israel, Caleb, Donovan, Abigail; and 2 great-grandchildren: Nate and Evie.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 29, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chapel, 550 East 700 South, St. George, Utah. Interment will be at Tonaquint Cemetery, 1777 South Dixie Drive, St. George, Utah.