Sharon Kay Mceachern

Sharon Kay McEachern, 77, of Broomfield CO, passed away quietly in her sleep on August 12th. She was a vibrant and inquisitive soul, sometimes to the consternation of her mother and school teachers. On more than one occasion, her kindergarten teacher moved Sharon and her sleeping mat behind the upright piano during rest periods because she wouldn’t stop talking, laughing and singing. As a teenager, Sharon found creative outlets in the Wichita Children’s Theatre, acting in several plays, and Junior Achievement. At 15, she was named the top salesperson in the Wichita area in Junior Achievement, winning a trip to Milwaukee to compete in the regional JA sales contest. And at 16, won a trip to Ohio State University in another Junior Achievement contest.

After graduating from Wichita State University, she worked for a time as a feature writer for the Wichita Eagle, then struck out to discover the world outside of Kansas. She spent some time in New York City working for the national Girl Scout organization as well as other employers, and described the colorful life of NYC through the eyes of a naïve Kansas girl. Returning home, she did another stint as a reporter for the Wichita Eagle, then decided to explore the west coast. She worked for a time at the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper.

Back to the Midwest, she earned her Master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Ever restless, she moved to Denver and opened her own private counseling practice. She also wrote for Standard & Poors as well as various other magazines and publications. She also sang in a church choir.

When she gladly left the working world behind, she pursued her love of art, producing numerous mixed media and acrylic paint pieces. One of her mixed media pieces was juried into the Tenth Annual International Exhibition of Women’s Art, along with just 15 other artists, and it hung in New York’s Soho20 gallery. Another of her mixed media pieces was juried into a show in Greeley, CO, only to be yanked out of the exhibit by the sponsors because the piece had a gay theme. She also had a solo show at the Core Art Gallery in Denver and other pieces hung in various shows in the Denver area. Over the years, she also sewed at least a half dozen quilts, wrote a blog dealing with ethical issues, and wrote a dozen short humor pieces, mostly autobiographical.

She is survived by Maribeth, her wife of 20 years (finally able to legalize the union by the Supreme Court decision). She is also survived by her brother, Barry McEachern, nieces Sara Herrman and Kimberly Day, first cousins Jill Bannister, Sue Bransford, Jeff Brown, Terry Brown, Kay Ellingboe, Julie Hyter, Kelly Hughes, Julie Napoleone, Rhonda Thompson, Ann Van Valkenburg and Randy Ward. She is predeceased by her parents, Arnold and Doris McEachern. While she could still travel, she enjoyed the reunions of a large extended family.

She was eccentric. She lived life on her own terms. She is missed.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sharon Kay Mceachern, please visit our floral store.