On March 24, 2022 our loving wife, mother, sister and friend Sharon King Madsen, passed away at the age of 74 after a long illness.

Sharon was born to Dale Glines and Frances Merrell King on November 14, 1947 in Safford, Arizona, the third of ten children. She grew up in Wilcox and Mesa, Arizona, and spent many summers at Circle K, her family's youth camp in Dolores, Colorado. There she enjoyed the beauty of the Colorado mountains, horseback riding, and other outdoor adventures. In high school, Sharon was active in student government and the glee club. After graduation, she attended Brigham Young University, where she met her eternal companion Ronald Andersen Madsen. They were sealed for time and all eternity in the Los Angeles Temple on September 12, 1968.

Sharon and Ronald settled in Provo, Utah, where they raised five children. Sharon loved to make special memories with her family. When they were young, she took them to Circle K during summers. Later, after the ranch was sold, she fell in love with white-water rafting, and she and Ron decided to buy their own rafting equipment. Over the years, the family had many memorable and epic rafting adventures with extended family and friends.

Music was a gift that Sharon enjoyed throughout her life. In 1990, she graduated from BYU with a bachelor's degree in music. She was a dedicated piano teacher and she also served as a choir director, an organist, a primary chorister, and a ward chorister. She also fostered a love of music in all her children but most especially in her son Andrus, who went on to become a professional musician. She always loved hearing him play, and all of her children's and grandchildren's music.

Sharon brought her distinct brand of color to the world. Her piano lessons involved hand-sewn musical notes and a treasure chest of prizes for her students. Gifts were always carefully and thoughtfully selected to be meaningful to the recipient. She had a strong desire to let the people around her know that they mattered to her. She loved to garden (her flowers were amazing) and sew (she sewed her own wedding dress), and she was a great cook (we all have fond memories of her orange rolls).

Although Sharon struggled with depression for many years, she kept a twinkle in her eyes, a mischievous side, and an amazingly caring soul. While others might have become bitter, Sharon always held on to her Savior and let her own sorrows make her more compassionate to others. One of her strongest gifts was reaching out to those who were quietly suffering and lifting their spirits through an outpouring of love and care. She gathered those who were lonely in one way or another and drew them in as family, sometimes sharing her own home with them for months and even years. She will be remembered by many for her unwavering faith, her charitable spirit, and her unconditional love.

Sharon was very proud of and loved her children and grandchildren. She also adored her sons-in-law and daughter-in-law. She tried to develop an individual connection with each family member.

Sharon is survived by her husband, Ronald Andersen Madsen; her children, Andrus Madsen (Kelly Shaw), Julie (Michael) Durham, Kristie (Norman) Bowers, Laura (Jeff) Meek, and Amy (Ryan) Andersen; six of her siblings Lucinda "Cindy", Verla, Rhonda, Bruce, Darcy, and Norman; and 19 grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, and three of her brothers: Marvin, Gordon, and Val.

The family would like to thank the many caregivers from Covington Senior Living and Yarrow Hospice Care, as well as the amazing volunteers who cared for and loved Sharon along with us.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, at 11 a.m. at the Sharon Park 5th Ward at 225 East 200 North, Orem. Friends can offer their condolences Tuesday evening from 6:30-8 p.m. and on Wednesday morning from 9:30-10:30 a.m. prior to the services. Interment will be held at the East Lawn Memorial Hills Cemetery.

There will be a livestream of the service on Wednesday starting at 11 am which can be found at www.walkersanderson.com. For those unable to attend, the funeral will be recorded and can be found there as well.