July 28, 1941 - February 9, 2021

The “Joy” to our world, Sharon Gallagher passed away suddenly at her home in Peoria, Arizona on February 9th, 2021. The announcement was as unexpected as it was devastating to her family, friends and all that knew this beautiful, beloved soul.

Sharon was born in Vancouver, Washington, on July 28, 1941 to Fred and Myrtle Lang. She was the older of their two daughters and raised in the Yakima, Tri-Cities and Skagit Valley regions, before graduating in 1959 at Burlington-Edison High School.

Sharon often recalled the days she would spend growing up with her proud parents and younger sister Janet. Some of her favorite family memories were spent camping, boating, and fishing, on the bountiful lakes and rivers throughout the state. (Or anywhere Sharon’s father, nicknamed “Fast Freddy,” caught the most salmon and trout!)

After moving to Yakima and attending junior college, Sharon went to work at Associated Grocers, where she met her future husband, Louis Vetsch Jr. Not only did Sharon become Louie’s wife in 1961, but she also embraced the role as being mother to his three children: Danny, Paula, and Damon.

Soon after the birth of their son Steve and daughter LeAnn, they purchased a home in the West Chestnut neighborhood. It was there that close neighbors, the Miller’s, Irsfeld’s and Colon’s, became family…and family memories became fun!

While being a supermom raising five kids, Sharon was as energetic as she was active. Her athleticism inspired her to play women’s softball, join several bowling leagues and become a member of the Elks Golf and Country Club. Sharon was also involved with various local organizations such as, Junior Aid, The Alice Miller Guild and Zonta; a group that empowers women through service and advocacy.

In 1976, Sharon and Louie amicably parted ways, with Sharon remaining close over the years with Louie’s many relatives. Welcoming her newfound independence, with the confidence to back it up, Sharon went in pursuit of a new career.

Hired as a sales representative at the Yakima Convention Bureau in 1976, Sharon began to make a name for herself in the hospitality industry. This steppingstone led her to a successful position as lead Sales Manager for the Thunderbird Motor Inn. Sharon’s hard work and dedication finally paid off, and in 1978 was promoted to Director of Sales and Catering of the newly constructed Red Lion Hotel, in Bellevue, WA.

The inspiring “Gallagher Love Story” begins on August 17th, 1979, the day that Jim and Sharon became man and wife. He was as successful as he was handsome, and she was as smart as she was beautiful! Together they were the perfect couple, blending Jim’s three sons, Jim Jr. Mike, and Kelly, with Sharon’s five kids, Danny, Paula, Damon, Steve, and LeAnn. Little did they know, over the span of the next four decades, their family of eight would eventually multiply into sixty members’ altogether!

In the late eighties, Sharon left the hospitality industry to join her husband and their two sons JR and Mike, to work for their reputable family meat brokerage business, Farm Fresh Foods, located in Issaquah, WA. During this time, Jim and Sharon formed many close relationships with their valued employees and loyal customers, leading to many lifelong friendships that they would always treasure.

Loving the warm summer days of the Pacific Northwest, the physically active couple enjoyed various outdoor activities, such as jogging, golfing and tennis. Their most desirable pastime however, was anywhere their 1986 blue and white Sea Ray boat, named the “Irish Wake” would take them! The Puget Sound, Lake Chelan, Lake Roosevelt and anywhere on the Columbia River, were just a few of their desirable destinations.

After vacationing in Arizona and falling in love with the picturesque, desert landscape and warmer climate, Jim and Sharon in 1997, bought a house in Westbrook Village, located on Topeka Drive in Peoria, AZ. Enjoying this perfect location for their favorite recreation, the working couple set their long-term goal on retirement… (And short-term goal to play golf every day!)

Selling their successful company of twenty-five years, as well as their house in Bellevue, Jim and Sharon bought a second home in Yakima. Now being centrally located and living closer to family, Grandpa Jim, and Grandma Sharon, (aka… “Gigi!”) went from being “part-time sun seekers” to “full-time snowbirds” and truly had the best of both worlds!

Over the years, Jim and Sharon had many wonderful friends and neighbors in the Summitview Square and Westbrook communities in which they lived; belonging to various groups and attending several social gatherings. The Gallagher’s also knew how to entertain and throw a great party; with Sharon always making sure the décor, food and entertainment was enjoyed by all!

Whenever Sharon was surrounded by her family; that is what made her heart whole, and that is what she lived for. Some of Sharon’s most memorable vacations involved many fun and exciting trips, which were attributed not only to Sharon, but to her beloved mother, and our dear Grandmother, Myrtle Lang.

These crazy good times included a 1993 Hawaiian vacation honoring Grandma Lang’s 70th followed up in 1998 for her 75th with friends and family in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The cherished 2000 Mexican Cruise and 2004 Alaska Cruise were something special, as was Sharon’s 75th “Great Gatsby” birthday celebration at Alderbrook Resort near Hood Canal.

Having endless amounts of energy, Sharon’s stamina lead her to run a half marathon in her thirties; skydive in Hawaii in her forties; hang upside down to kiss the Blarney Stone in Cork, Ireland in her fifties; slalom ski with her kids and tube with her grandkids in her sixties; playing numerous rounds of golf, taking Tai Chi classes and riding a horse in her seventies!

Her two address books combined, have close to three hundred and sixty-seven names in them with her cell phone storing over nine thousand pictures! How Sharon kept up with Sharon is simply amazing, astonishing…and exhausting! (But we loved that she did!)

Sharon was preceded in death by her husband Jim Gallagher; sons Danny Vetsch and Kelly Gallagher; her parents Fred and Myrtle Lang and Sister Janet Youngquist.

Sharon is survived by son Damon (Len) Vetsch; Steve (Lynn) Vetsch; Jim Jr (Kathleen) Gallagher; Mike (Roxanne) Gallagher; daughter Paula (Byron) Palmer; LeAnn (Cherie) Vetsch; her sixteen grandchildren; Jennifer Palmer; Derek (Ericka) Palmer; Aaryn (Adam) Heib; Kassica (Jared) Shulkin; Wyatt Volkmann; Brooke (Ryan) Petty; Jake Vetsch; Shannon (TJ) Vaughn, Randy (Angela) Sandall; Erin (Zach) Smith; Conner Gallagher; Cailin (Cory) Carpenter; Joe Gallagher; Ashely Gallagher…Eighteen great-grandchildren; Easton, Sawyer, Everlee, Brenton, Braxton, Breclan, Jackson, Jonah, Sloan, Sullivan, Charlie, Henry, Benton, baby Jackson, Travis, Kailynn, Madisyn, Olivia; her three nephews John (Shelly) Youngquist; Jeff (Kelly) Youngquist; James (Stacy) Youngquist; her six great-nieces and nephews JJ, Trisha, Justin, Kindsey, Jasper and Daisy.

Please visit www.gatheringus.com to contribute to her lasting memory. A private memorial will take place this summer at Lake Chelan.