Sharon Raye Sanford Vandever

Sharon Raye Sanford Vandever passed away quietly at home in Farmington, Utah on January 15, 2024 following a long battle with colon cancer.
  
 Sharon was born to Ray L and Sarah (Sally) Knight Sanford October 3, 1940 in South Gate, California. She was the middle of three children. The family moved to Paul, Idaho where Sharon graduated from Minico High School in 1958. She  attended cosmetology school in Salt Lake City.  She married the love of her life, Dare Vandever, March 3, 1961 in Paul, Idaho. The two were sealed for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls temple in 1963.

While living in the Mini-Cassia area two children were born to the couple, Sarah Amy and Darryll Gregory.  The family moved to Oregon where Dare worked with his brothers in a family plumbing and construction business.  Their third child, Daren Ray, was born in La Grande, Oregon.  Their fourth child, Joel David, was born in Bend, Oregon.  The family returned to the Heyburn area where their fifth child, Jordan Derek, was born and died on the same day:  Jordan is buried in the Paul Cemetery.

Sharon worked as a cosmetologist and Dare as a carpenter while the couple raised their children. They attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints wherever they lived and served in many different callings over the years. They spent a lot of time hunting, fishing, camping, and playing card games with family and close friends.
  
 Sharon had a way of making everyone around her feel special. She noticed unique things about others and was never shy about telling them how wonderful they were! She loved to learn and was always reading something incredible that she just had to share with those around her. She had an amazing voice and willingly shared that gift with innumerable people. Music was personal to her, a part of who she was, and when she sang you could feel her spirit in the very notes and lyrics.
  
 After living many years in Heyburn, Dare and Sharon moved their family to Farmington, Utah. Dare worked as the head carpenter for Lagoon and he and Sharon made many new friends. She missed her Idaho friends, and they missed her, so she drove almost every weekend to Idaho to do hair and catch up!
  
 Sharon’s greatest joy was found in her husband, their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and their always-expanding circle of friends. 

Sharon loved people and people loved her.  She opened their home to family, friends and many, many strangers.  She helped them to feel valued, heard, seen and loved. Sharon was passionate about cooking, listening, learning and loving those around her.  No one ever left their home without a full stomach, a new found understanding of their personal worth, a great sense of being comforted and a warm and heartfelt embrace.  Those that entered as strangers, always left as friends.

Sharon was an excellent cook!  She was always, always doing something creative! She painted, grew gardens and beautiful flowers, decorated her home, sewed quilts, baby blankets and bibs by the dozen, canned produce, did all kinds of needlework, made dolls and stuffed toys, pine cone cottages and Christmas decorations. The world is a prettier place because of her shared creativity.

In addition to her own children, Sharon was mother to many. Sharon completely understood how to love people and her influence of genuine love will be felt for generations. She will be missed by so very many.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ray and Sally, her son, Jordan, brother-in-law, Jack Petajan, and sister-in-law, Ronda Sanford.
  
 Sharon is survived by her loving husband, Rex Dare; children Amy (Alan) Tuckett, Greg (Michelle) Vandever, Daren (Allyson) Vandever and Joel (AnnDee) Vandever; 17 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren; her sister, Mary Eve Sanford Petajan, and brother, David Ray Sanford.
  
Memorial services will be held Saturday, February 3rd in the Farmington Rock Chapel (North 272 Main Street) at 11:30 a.m.