It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Sharon Marie Wells (nee Loehr), who departed this world on July 21, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. She was the cherished daughter of Gardner "Stewart" Loehr and Bertha "Rita" Loehr (nee Espinoza), born on June 14, 1940, in Gary, Indiana, Sharon was a beacon of light and joy to all who knew her.

At the tender age of ten, Sharon moved from Gary, Indiana to Centinela, California, with her mother. Her mother owned several beauty shops in the Los Angeles region, where Hollywood stars frequented. Sharon fondly recalled seeing Rita Moreno in one of her mother's shops. Her father co-owned a carpet and flooring company in Indiana named Hellman's and Loehr.

Sharon's love for dance began in her youth, highlighted by an appearance as a dancer on the Ed Sullivan Show. In 1957, she married Robert French Wells, a WWII Navy veteran and Aerospace Engineer. Together, they welcomed their first son Mark Paul Wells in 1958, followed by daughter Laura Marie Rita Wells in 1962, and twins Gregory Vance Sylvan Wells and David Leland John Wells in 1964.

In 1970s the family move from California to Colorado, settling in the Green Mountain area of Lakewood. There, Sharon and Robert opened the Lakewood Bridge Club, where they hosted twelve bridge games a week, nurturing a lifelong passion for the game, where she was the Director of the Bridge Club for many years. After Robert's passing in 1977, Sharon faced the challenges of raising her children as a widow but did so with strength and grace. In the 1980s, she found companionship with ML Lawein, with whom she shared many happy years until his death in 2010.

Sharon's zest for life extended beyond her love for dance and bridge. She enjoyed hiking, biking, rollerblading, and traveling, with memorable trips to Thailand and Peru. Sharon also had a profound love of music, often filling her home with the sounds of Neil Diamond, Barbara Streisand and Elvis, and going to live concerts often. Her adventurous spirit and love for her family were constants throughout her life.

She leaves behind a legacy of love and memories, survived by her half-siblings Nancy Ellen Loehr and Aaron Merl Loehr, her children Mark Paul Wells, Laura Marie Rita Wells, Gregory Vance Sylvan Wells, and David Leland John Wells, her grandchildren Christopher David Leland Wells and Michaela Cimone Helena Mellberg, and her great-grandchild Elvira Maria Kristina Mellberg. She was predeceased by her parents, her older half-sister Lorraine Espinoza, her beloved husband Robert French Wells, and her long-time partner Merril Lloyd "ML" Lawein.

Sharon will be dearly missed by her children, grandchildren, and all who were fortunate to have known her. Her life was a testament to resilience, love, and joy, and her memory will live on in our hearts forever.

Services will be held on Saturday, August 10th, at 2pm, at St Jude Catholic Church, 9405 W Florida Ave, Lakewood, CO 80232, where friends and family will gather to celebrate Sharon's remarkable life.