A Life Beautifully Lived

In Loving Memory of Sharon A. (Harrington) Beaudry

October 28, 1938 – June 9, 2026

Sharon A. (Harrington) Beaudry, 87, passed away peacefully on June 9, 2026, in Spokane, Washington.

Born on October 28, 1938, in Tonasket, Washington, Sharon was the daughter of Roy and Lora (Overmyer) Harrington. She graduated from Rogers High School in Spokane in 1956 and later attended Eastern Washington State College.

In 1962, Sharon married Daniel Beaudry, beginning a partnership rooted in faith, love, and adventure. Five years later, with four young children in tow, they made the courageous decision to leave Washington and head north to Alaska during the oil boom of 1967. What began as a leap of faith became the adventure of a lifetime. Their children have often said that the decision to move to Alaska was one of the greatest gifts their parents ever gave them—providing an extraordinary childhood filled with opportunity, lifelong friendships, breathtaking beauty, and memories they will cherish forever.

Music was woven throughout Sharon’s life. An accomplished pianist and organist, she generously shared her gifts by serving many Catholic parishes over the years. At Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Kenai, Alaska, she faithfully volunteered countless hours preparing music for liturgies, believing every hymn deserved to be played with care and every celebration of faith deserved her very best.

While living in Alaska, Sharon also dedicated many years of volunteer service to the Kenai Community Library. There she formed lifelong friendships, welcomed the many visitors who arrived during fishing season, and was known for her warm hospitality. It wasn’t unusual for Sharon to invite someone home for a home-cooked meal, turning strangers into friends around her family table.

One of Sharon’s greatest passions was genealogy. Long before family history was only a click away, she mastered the use of library archives and microfilm, patiently searching census records and historical documents for countless hours. Through her determination and love of family, she traced generations of both the Harrington and Beaudry families, preserving an invaluable legacy that will continue to benefit generations to come.

Sharon was also a gifted and enthusiastic crafter. She loved sewing, knitting, and trying every new craft trend that came along, often working late into the evening with several projects underway at once. Her hands were rarely still, and those creations became treasured gifts for family and friends.

Summertime found Sharon beside Dan in the garden, tending raspberries, strawberries, flowers, and vegetables. Their grandchildren fondly remember picking gallons of berries and eagerly anticipating Grampa’s custom-grown pumpkins each fall. Those simple moments became some of the family’s most cherished traditions.

Following retirement from Alaska in the 1990s, Sharon and Dan returned to the Inland Northwest, building homes and making new memories in Clayton, Mead, and later Rathdrum, Idaho.

Nothing brought Sharon greater joy than being “Grama.” Together, Grama and Grampa kept a meticulously organized family calendar, making it their mission to attend as many sporting events, concerts, recitals, performances, and school activities as possible. When schedules overlapped, they simply divided and conquered—splitting up to “cover the bases” so no grandchild would look into the stands without seeing a familiar face cheering them on.

Whether it was a baseball diamond, volleyball court, football field, concert stage, or graduation ceremony, Sharon believed every child deserved an enthusiastic fan. She and Dan didn’t just cheer for their own grandchildren—they celebrated every young person giving their best, making teammates, classmates, and friends feel like part of the family. As the grandchildren grew older, Sharon continued traveling whenever she could to college games, graduations, and life’s milestones, always offering encouragement, wise counsel, and unconditional love.

Sharon was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Lora Harrington; her beloved husband, Daniel Beaudry; her son, Shane Beaudry; and her only sister, Phyllis Fisher.

She is lovingly remembered by her children, Matthew P. Beaudry; Lisa C. Barber (Thomas); and Lora L. Payton (Darin); her grandchildren, Sara, Abby, Owen, Hope, Winter, Hardin, Megan, Emily, Andy, Jack, Madison, McKinna, and Savannah; and her great-grandchildren, Paul, Nona, Beau, Rebecca, Robbie, Mac, Landon, Mason, Cora, Sydney, Gentry, Oliver, Penelope, and Truett, along with many extended family members and dear friends.

A private family burial will take place at Holy Cross Cemetery in Spokane, Washington.

Sharon believed that the most meaningful life was one spent serving God, loving family, and caring for others. By that measure, hers was a life beautifully lived.

In her later years, as life naturally slowed, Sharon ended many conversations with a simple piece of encouragement: “Keep on keeping on.” It became more than a familiar goodbye—it became her philosophy. Even as she watched her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren build lives of their own, she remained their quiet encourager, always believing in the road ahead.

Her family finds peace knowing she has been joyfully reunited with Dan, Shane, and all those who went before her, welcomed home by the Lord she faithfully served throughout her life.

Today, her family smiles through their tears, hearing those familiar words once more. The legacy Sharon and Dan built together lives on in every generation that follows. As we celebrate a life of faith, music, service, generosity, and unconditional love, perhaps there is no better way to honor Sharon than to do exactly what she always encouraged us to do…

Keep on keeping on.

— Grama