Sharon Maroni

Sharon Irene (Shaughnessy) Maroni was born a fighter - on June 19, 1942, she was born in Seattle, Washington, to Richard and Margret Shaughnessy, three months early and weighing under 2 pounds.  She was so small her incubator was a shoe box filled with cotton.  She grew up in Seattle, loving westerns, horses and the cowgirl lifestyle.  Her family owned several horses which they pastured in Rainier Valley for Sharon and her friends to ride in the undeveloped areas of south Seattle.  Sharon’s dream as a girl was to live in the country and she spent summers at her uncle’s farm in Kennewick living the country life. 

Sharon was part of the Franklin High School graduating class of 1960 and in September, 1961 she married Paul Maroni.  They raised and showed Basenji dogs and had two children, Gina and Ric. 

In 1969 Sharon’s dream of living in the country came true when the family bought an old farm house and property in Enumclaw, where they collected horses, dogs and cats, raised pigs and chickens and had a huge garden.  Sharon was a stay-at-home mom and one of the adult leaders of the Sunrise Wranglers 4-H club as well as the Maplewood Pony Club.  Sharon loved all animals, but horses and dogs had a special place in her heart.

After the death of her husband Paul, Sharon moved to Auburn and spent several years employed by Olin Mills Photography, travelling Washington, Oregon and Idaho with her dog Spike.  She then worked for Auburn South Veterinary Hospital for 20 years, until she retired at the age of 67.

In 2003 Sharon moved back to Enumclaw, close to family and friends.  She enjoyed gardening, taking agility lessons with her dogs, baking, sewing and especially spending time with her granddaughter Paulie, drawing, painting and hunting for snakes and other treasures around the yard. 

She was diagnosed with cancer in 2008, fought hard and beat it back into remission.  She still loved horseback riding and Sharon and Gina travelled to dude ranches in Canada and Washington, trail riding and being weekend cowgirls.

In 2009 Sharon retired and journeyed with family and friends to Florida, New Orleans, Nevada and cruising in the Caribbean.  She took weekend trips to the beach to visit lifelong friends and in the summer visited her cousins in Zillah with Ric and Paulie.  She started quilting and made beautiful quilts as treasured gifts for family and friends.  She joined the Hands Touching Hearts quilting club in Buckley and was grateful for their friendship and support, especially after her second cancer diagnosis in 2018.  Again, Sharon fought and in 2019, cruised with Gina to Mexico, helping the local economies with her purchases of silver and turquoise, and making plans for a Mediterranean cruise.

In 2021, after her third cancer diagnosis, she fought again, wanting “just one more trip” and to celebrate her 80th birthday.  She passed on June 2, 2022, just 17 days short of that goal, surrounded by family and love and out of pain.   Sharon had grit, was a cowgirl even when she didn’t own a horse and will be forever missed by her family and friends. 

Cowgirl is a spirit, a special brand of courage. The cowgirl faces life head on, lives by her own lights, and makes no excuses. Cowgirls take stands. They speak up. They defend the things they hold dear. A cowgirl might be a rancher, or a barrel racer, or a bull rider, or an actress. But she's just as likely to be a checker at the local Winn Dixie, a full-time mother, a banker, an attorney, or an astronaut.     ~Dale Evans

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