Sharon A. Zappe

Sharon Ann Zappe, born January 6th, 1949, passed peacefully on May 4th, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. She is predeceased by her parents George and Ann Lavey as well as two siblings, Mary Lavey and Bob Lavey. She is survived by her children Anne (Ozzie) Benegas, Tim (Amber) Zappe, 5 granddaughters, and siblings Jim Lavey, Tim Lavey, and George Lavey. Sharon was born in Sheboygan, WI where she grew up with her five siblings. A devout Catholic, she attended a catholic grade school and continued to go to church nearly every Sunday for the rest of her life. Her mother passed when she was ten and, as the oldest girl, she embraced taking care of her siblings. This experience sparked her love of taking care of others and, after graduating high school, she attended Milwaukee County General Hospital School of Nursing, graduating as an RN in 1971. In her early career, she worked in the operating and recovery rooms before finding her true passion- home care. A true caregiver, Sharon dedicated her life to taking care of others. As an RN she found her purpose in helping people heal. Sharon would often go above and beyond for her patients, frequently making an extra trip to bring more supplies, stopping to fill their prescriptions or even picking up some groceries for them. Sharon was a home care nurse for more than 30 years before retiring in 2018. A friend from nursing school introduced Sharon to her brother Richard. They were married in California in 1981. That same year, they had their first child- Anne. And in 1984, their second- Tim. In 1990, the family came to Colorado to explore the idea of moving. Anticipating relocating to the Colorado Springs area, they drove through Fort Collins on a whim and knew that was the place for them. Sharon and Richard divorced in 1997 and she soon moved gracefully into being a grandmother. A doting mother and grandmother, Sharon was always willing to go near and far to spend time with and support her family. As a joke, her son once suggested attending opening day one year when the Rockies were in Milwaukee, in only a few days' time. Calling his bluff, she suggested she’d pay for the plane tickets if Tim paid for the game tickets. There they were on opening day a thousand miles from home! She also once planned a surprise trip for her and her daughter to go to her niece’s baby shower in Orlando. She planned the whole thing with her son-in-law and arranged with Anne’s workplace for her to have the time off without spilling the secret. The two spent a wonderful long weekend with family. Sharon was most accurately known to her friends and family as “Grandma” Sharon. While she did have 5 granddaughters- Sam, Hailey, Megan, Breelyn, and Jade- she was truly a grandma to all. Her granddaughters have fond memories of spending time with their Grandma. Hailey fondly recalls that every time they went swimming (which was often) they would end their session sitting in the hot tub playing the alphabet game. Megan and Grandma often took rocks out of her front garden to paint them, and then put them back like little decorative surprises. Breelyn and Jade will remember playground trips, sharing stories while sitting on her lap, and having a Grandma who always loved their time together. Sam will always remember the summer that the whole family spent painting an ocean mural on the walls of Sharon’s back patio, because no fun idea suggested by her grandchildren was ever too permanent or ridiculous for her to disagree with. Family traditions were important to Sharon, even the small ones. She always made it a point to celebrate her loved ones’ birthdays with their favorite home cooked meal. 4th of July & Memorial day block parties, yearly trips to the Nutcracker, baking Christmas cookies with her children and grandchildren- the list goes on. Her son-in-law Ozzie was particularly fond of the socks she gave him for Christmas every year, they will be missed! Sharon’s kindness didn’t end with her family and patients. She had a large circle of close friends, made up mostly of coworkers and neighbors who she was always showering with gifts of homemade food and baked goods. She was known for befriending the new neighbors next door or down the street, welcoming them into her home and onto her patio for refreshments and conversation. Sharon often kept a child sized picnic table in her driveway so that her grandchildren could play with the neighbor kids while the adults sat back and enjoyed each other’s company. She always invited her friends and neighbors to join her family for holiday events and BBQs. Everyone was welcome, creating lifelong friendships with almost everyone she met. Sharon’s friends knew her as someone with a boisterous personality and a distinctive laugh that could infect the whole room. Some might be too embarrassed to wear a cheesehead in public (outside of Wisconsin), but she wouldn’t let that deter her. She had decorations, clothing and earrings (oh the earrings!) for every season and holiday that she would proudly display. She once went as a nun for halloween with a friend, and they spent the whole night chuckling. As for hobbies and interests, Sharon had many. She loved dogs, rescuing many throughout her lifetime. She had Pomeranians Fluffy and Alfie when her kids were little. By the time her first granddaughter was born, she adored her border collie, Maxx. In her later years, she kept company with smaller dogs- Taffy, a corgi mix, and Bella, a terrier mix. She enjoyed painting ceramics, she created an entire Christmas village that she decorated with every year. Sharon enjoyed gardening, and created memories with her granddaughters while teaching them about the various flowers and plants that adorned her front and back yards. A diehard Packers fan, Sharon could cheer for the Broncos when the Packers weren’t playing. She also liked the Rockies, but she loved the baseball teams that Tim played on as a kid. She also briefly enjoyed softball, basketball, soccer and volleyball when Tim and Anne played in elementary and junior high. She religiously attended any and all events for her grandchildren from games or matches to dance recitals and orchestra concerts. A spectator at one of her granddaughter’s sporting events recently commented that Sharon and her friend, Kathy, were like the team’s mascots because they were at all the games cheering proudly with their matching red walkers. Sharon lived a life filled with countless family and friends, love, joy, and only a little heartache. She was loved dearly, and will be greatly missed. Rosary service Thursday, May 14th at 7:15 pm. Funeral services on Friday May 15th at 2:00 pm. Reception to follow. All services at St. Joseph Catholic Church 300 W Mountain Ave Fort Collins, CO 80521

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Sharon A. Zappe

January 6, 1949 - May 4, 2026