Sharel Ann Graff Smith Johnson courageously battled lung cancer for the past two years. She passed peacefully on June 3, 2014 at the age of 80 with her family and friends by her side. Sharel was born in Oakland, California to Robert and Shirley Graff on February 1, 1934. She grew up along the California coast from Catalina to Sausalito living aboard the family sailboat or in the family Coop in San Francisco.
Sharel lost her first husband, Robert Ferris Smith, the father of Michael and Derek, to the hands of a drunk driver while she and Robert attended San Francisco State University. A few years later, she married Frank Carter Johnson, the father of Jill and Jeff. Unfortunately, not too long after the family of six moved to Reno in 1963, Frank and Sharel divorced. Sharel remained in Reno to raise her family. Throughout her years she worked at the University of Nevada Reno Cooperative Extension; private home health care for elderly clients; Occupational Therapy at Washoe Medical Center; and she retired as a Teacher's Assistant from Marvin Picollo Elementary School in Reno.
Sharel had a strong, adventurous, and independent spirit as she raised her four children by herself in Reno on a shoestring budget, but that did not stop her from exposing them to some wonderful experiences. Sharel taught her children the love for Jazz music by hauling them to Virginia City to listen to the best Jazz musicians perform at the local hot spots. Also, weekends in the summer were spent camping and sailing at Pyramid Lake in her OK Dingy while towing a child on a raft behind. Sutcliff residents thought she was crazy to be sailing on the lake with her kids so they kept a watchful eye on her. Slide Mountain was the place to be in the winter as she taught her children to ski.
The Christmas and the New Year holidays were special times for her. Sharel always made sure the family traditions were in place. The family would hunt through the deep snow in Dog Valley searching for the perfect Christmas tree to bring home to string popcorn and cranberries on. Shelling walnuts for Angel Thumb Print Cookies while watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was an annual treat. And eating fresh crab from the Blue Bounty was always worth the trouble. The famous "mustard ring" Jell-o and coleslaw salad garnished the family feast each year. At midnight on New Year's Eve, the neighbors would be awakened to the pounding of pots and pans and the blaring of a trumpet.
Sharel loved adventures. She volunteered on archeological digs around the west and even in Spain. She also assisted with the Mastodon Excavation in Spring Creek, NV. Sharel prided herself in creating a "wildlife habitat" in her back yard as she enjoyed watching the variety of birds. She enjoyed camping and there are many stories of her packing her Opal GT with camping gear. She definitely was a desert rat loving to explore Nevada.
Sharel will be greatly missed as she leaves behind many loved ones… her children; Michael (Teri) Smith of Salt Lake, Derek Smith of Reno, Jill (Ken) Wilkinson of Spring Creek, Nevada, and Jeff (Sandra) Johnson of Reno; her grandchildren; Mykel Blake, Rachel Johnson, Elisabeth Johnson, Hayley Smith, Jaden Hendrickson, Andrea Wilkinson, Sheldon Wilkinson, and Grace Smith; and of course her loving cats, Harley and Ace, along with dear friends; Francie Trigero, Susan Holeski, Dianna Hill, Kevin Mongar, Nancy Jeans, and Tom and Reiko Wilkinson; her sister Karen Woodard and niece Kelly LiPari of Fresno, CA; her half-brothers; Jerry, Steve, and Greg Graff, and many other friends.
Sharel chose to donate her body to the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine. Her caring and giving nature continues to live on in her death.
Published in Reno Gazette-Journal from June 11 to June 15, 2014
Sharel lost her first husband, Robert Ferris Smith, the father of Michael and Derek, to the hands of a drunk driver while she and Robert attended San Francisco State University. A few years later, she married Frank Carter Johnson, the father of Jill and Jeff. Unfortunately, not too long after the family of six moved to Reno in 1963, Frank and Sharel divorced. Sharel remained in Reno to raise her family. Throughout her years she worked at the University of Nevada Reno Cooperative Extension; private home health care for elderly clients; Occupational Therapy at Washoe Medical Center; and she retired as a Teacher's Assistant from Marvin Picollo Elementary School in Reno.
Sharel had a strong, adventurous, and independent spirit as she raised her four children by herself in Reno on a shoestring budget, but that did not stop her from exposing them to some wonderful experiences. Sharel taught her children the love for Jazz music by hauling them to Virginia City to listen to the best Jazz musicians perform at the local hot spots. Also, weekends in the summer were spent camping and sailing at Pyramid Lake in her OK Dingy while towing a child on a raft behind. Sutcliff residents thought she was crazy to be sailing on the lake with her kids so they kept a watchful eye on her. Slide Mountain was the place to be in the winter as she taught her children to ski.
The Christmas and the New Year holidays were special times for her. Sharel always made sure the family traditions were in place. The family would hunt through the deep snow in Dog Valley searching for the perfect Christmas tree to bring home to string popcorn and cranberries on. Shelling walnuts for Angel Thumb Print Cookies while watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was an annual treat. And eating fresh crab from the Blue Bounty was always worth the trouble. The famous "mustard ring" Jell-o and coleslaw salad garnished the family feast each year. At midnight on New Year's Eve, the neighbors would be awakened to the pounding of pots and pans and the blaring of a trumpet.
Sharel loved adventures. She volunteered on archeological digs around the west and even in Spain. She also assisted with the Mastodon Excavation in Spring Creek, NV. Sharel prided herself in creating a "wildlife habitat" in her back yard as she enjoyed watching the variety of birds. She enjoyed camping and there are many stories of her packing her Opal GT with camping gear. She definitely was a desert rat loving to explore Nevada.
Sharel will be greatly missed as she leaves behind many loved ones… her children; Michael (Teri) Smith of Salt Lake, Derek Smith of Reno, Jill (Ken) Wilkinson of Spring Creek, Nevada, and Jeff (Sandra) Johnson of Reno; her grandchildren; Mykel Blake, Rachel Johnson, Elisabeth Johnson, Hayley Smith, Jaden Hendrickson, Andrea Wilkinson, Sheldon Wilkinson, and Grace Smith; and of course her loving cats, Harley and Ace, along with dear friends; Francie Trigero, Susan Holeski, Dianna Hill, Kevin Mongar, Nancy Jeans, and Tom and Reiko Wilkinson; her sister Karen Woodard and niece Kelly LiPari of Fresno, CA; her half-brothers; Jerry, Steve, and Greg Graff, and many other friends.
Sharel chose to donate her body to the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine. Her caring and giving nature continues to live on in her death.
Published in Reno Gazette-Journal from June 11 to June 15, 2014
Sharel Ann Graff Smith Johnson courageously battled lung cancer for the past two years. She passed peacefully on June 3, 2014 at the age of 80 with her family and friends by her side. Sharel was born in Oakland, California to Robert and Shirley Graff on February 1, 1934. She grew up along the California coast from Catalina to Sausalito living aboard the family sailboat or in the family Coop in San Francisco.
Sharel lost her first husband, Robert Ferris Smith, the father of Michael and Derek, to the hands of a drunk driver while she and Robert attended San Francisco State University. A few years later, she married Frank Carter Johnson, the father of Jill and Jeff. Unfortunately, not too long after the family of six moved to Reno in 1963, Frank and Sharel divorced. Sharel remained in Reno to raise her family. Throughout her years she worked at the University of Nevada Reno Cooperative Extension; private home health care for elderly clients; Occupational Therapy at Washoe Medical Center; and she retired as a Teacher's Assistant from Marvin Picollo Elementary School in Reno.
Sharel had a strong, adventurous, and independent spirit as she raised her four children by herself in Reno on a shoestring budget, but that did not stop her from exposing them to some wonderful experiences. Sharel taught her children the love for Jazz music by hauling them to Virginia City to listen to the best Jazz musicians perform at the local hot spots. Also, weekends in the summer were spent camping and sailing at Pyramid Lake in her OK Dingy while towing a child on a raft behind. Sutcliff residents thought she was crazy to be sailing on the lake with her kids so they kept a watchful eye on her. Slide Mountain was the place to be in the winter as she taught her children to ski.
The Christmas and the New Year holidays were special times for her. Sharel always made sure the family traditions were in place. The family would hunt through the deep snow in Dog Valley searching for the perfect Christmas tree to bring home to string popcorn and cranberries on. Shelling walnuts for Angel Thumb Print Cookies while watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was an annual treat. And eating fresh crab from the Blue Bounty was always worth the trouble. The famous "mustard ring" Jell-o and coleslaw salad garnished the family feast each year. At midnight on New Year's Eve, the neighbors would be awakened to the pounding of pots and pans and the blaring of a trumpet.
Sharel loved adventures. She volunteered on archeological digs around the west and even in Spain. She also assisted with the Mastodon Excavation in Spring Creek, NV. Sharel prided herself in creating a "wildlife habitat" in her back yard as she enjoyed watching the variety of birds. She enjoyed camping and there are many stories of her packing her Opal GT with camping gear. She definitely was a desert rat loving to explore Nevada.
Sharel will be greatly missed as she leaves behind many loved ones… her children; Michael (Teri) Smith of Salt Lake, Derek Smith of Reno, Jill (Ken) Wilkinson of Spring Creek, Nevada, and Jeff (Sandra) Johnson of Reno; her grandchildren; Mykel Blake, Rachel Johnson, Elisabeth Johnson, Hayley Smith, Jaden Hendrickson, Andrea Wilkinson, Sheldon Wilkinson, and Grace Smith; and of course her loving cats, Harley and Ace, along with dear friends; Francie Trigero, Susan Holeski, Dianna Hill, Kevin Mongar, Nancy Jeans, and Tom and Reiko Wilkinson; her sister Karen Woodard and niece Kelly LiPari of Fresno, CA; her half-brothers; Jerry, Steve, and Greg Graff, and many other friends.
Sharel chose to donate her body to the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine. Her caring and giving nature continues to live on in her death.
Published in Reno Gazette-Journal from June 11 to June 15, 2014
Sharel lost her first husband, Robert Ferris Smith, the father of Michael and Derek, to the hands of a drunk driver while she and Robert attended San Francisco State University. A few years later, she married Frank Carter Johnson, the father of Jill and Jeff. Unfortunately, not too long after the family of six moved to Reno in 1963, Frank and Sharel divorced. Sharel remained in Reno to raise her family. Throughout her years she worked at the University of Nevada Reno Cooperative Extension; private home health care for elderly clients; Occupational Therapy at Washoe Medical Center; and she retired as a Teacher's Assistant from Marvin Picollo Elementary School in Reno.
Sharel had a strong, adventurous, and independent spirit as she raised her four children by herself in Reno on a shoestring budget, but that did not stop her from exposing them to some wonderful experiences. Sharel taught her children the love for Jazz music by hauling them to Virginia City to listen to the best Jazz musicians perform at the local hot spots. Also, weekends in the summer were spent camping and sailing at Pyramid Lake in her OK Dingy while towing a child on a raft behind. Sutcliff residents thought she was crazy to be sailing on the lake with her kids so they kept a watchful eye on her. Slide Mountain was the place to be in the winter as she taught her children to ski.
The Christmas and the New Year holidays were special times for her. Sharel always made sure the family traditions were in place. The family would hunt through the deep snow in Dog Valley searching for the perfect Christmas tree to bring home to string popcorn and cranberries on. Shelling walnuts for Angel Thumb Print Cookies while watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was an annual treat. And eating fresh crab from the Blue Bounty was always worth the trouble. The famous "mustard ring" Jell-o and coleslaw salad garnished the family feast each year. At midnight on New Year's Eve, the neighbors would be awakened to the pounding of pots and pans and the blaring of a trumpet.
Sharel loved adventures. She volunteered on archeological digs around the west and even in Spain. She also assisted with the Mastodon Excavation in Spring Creek, NV. Sharel prided herself in creating a "wildlife habitat" in her back yard as she enjoyed watching the variety of birds. She enjoyed camping and there are many stories of her packing her Opal GT with camping gear. She definitely was a desert rat loving to explore Nevada.
Sharel will be greatly missed as she leaves behind many loved ones… her children; Michael (Teri) Smith of Salt Lake, Derek Smith of Reno, Jill (Ken) Wilkinson of Spring Creek, Nevada, and Jeff (Sandra) Johnson of Reno; her grandchildren; Mykel Blake, Rachel Johnson, Elisabeth Johnson, Hayley Smith, Jaden Hendrickson, Andrea Wilkinson, Sheldon Wilkinson, and Grace Smith; and of course her loving cats, Harley and Ace, along with dear friends; Francie Trigero, Susan Holeski, Dianna Hill, Kevin Mongar, Nancy Jeans, and Tom and Reiko Wilkinson; her sister Karen Woodard and niece Kelly LiPari of Fresno, CA; her half-brothers; Jerry, Steve, and Greg Graff, and many other friends.
Sharel chose to donate her body to the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine. Her caring and giving nature continues to live on in her death.
Published in Reno Gazette-Journal from June 11 to June 15, 2014
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