Sharie Lynn (Smart) Moran

Sharie Lynn Moran of West Des Moines, Iowa, formerly of Andalusia, was born on April 11, 1949 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the daughter of Cecil and Juanita Johnson Smart.  She had an older brother, Cecil Smart, a younger brother, Leonard and a younger sister, Nancy.  She grew up in the Salt Lake Valley and graduated from Olympus High School in 1967.  She attended the University of Utah and served in various positions in the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  She worked as a secretary for the Utah Highway Patrol.  In 1969 she met the love of her life, John Moran, who was vacationing in Salt Lake City before returning to school at the University of Missouri.  She began corresponding with John, and when he returned to Salt Lake at the end of the summer of 1970, they became engaged.  He returned to school, and came back to Salt Lake in December, where they were married on December 23, 1970.  It was a marriage that would last 48 ½ years until Sharie passed away on July 6, 2019 at age 70, ready to return to Heavenly Father and begin her labors on the other side of the veil.

In 1985, Sharie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which began to erode the use of her legs.  In 1993, she lost her ability to walk at all, and within another 5 years she lost the use of her arms and hands.  She was a quadriplegic confined to a wheelchair and bed.  With the help of a wonderful occupational therapist she was set up with a mouth stick to read books, and a computer to manage television, answer the telephone and make calls, and turn lights on and off.  Subsequently she acquired a computer with a voice program that allowed her to type, research the internet and read books.  She could even shop online.  Sharie was determined to live a full life in spite of her affliction.  She raised four children, Christopher, Heather, Fred and Catherine “Katie,” who love and honor her as a guiding light in their lives and treasure her example of courage, long-suffering, compassion and faith.  They married and have given Sharie 13 grandchildren, who are following in their parent’s steps, all of which have been deeply blessed by her loving kindness.  Sharie has served as a primary president and young women’s president at Church, and she has been a successful teacher touching the hearts of young people with her faith and courage.  Sharie authored several books on faith and she touched the hearts of all that she met.  She did not talk about herself or her trials, but always wanted to know how others were doing and their families, ect.

Surviving her are her husband of 48 years, John; four children, Chris (Kelli) Moran, Heather (Robert) Michael, Fred (Alecia) Moran and Katie (Randy)Teed; 13 grandchildren, Kincade and Wayne Moran, Makenzie, Jacob, Chloe and Isaac Michael, Matilda, Max and Jack Moran and Mabel, Charlie, Faye and Simon Teed; a brother, Leonard Smart; sister, Nancy White; and brother-in-law, Jeffrey (Barbara) Moran.

She was preceded in death by her parents and older brother, Cecil Smart.

We will miss her terribly, but we believe she is finally free of the bonds that restricted her for over 20 years and she is waiting for us to come home to her.  Farewell beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend.

A memorial service for Sharie will be Thursday, July 11th at 7 pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 3301 Ashworth Rd, West Des Moines, IA.

A funeral service will be 1 pm Saturday, July 13, 2019 at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, 201 E. 4th Ave., Milan.  Visitation will be from 5-8 pm Friday, July 12, 2019 at the funeral home.  Burial will be in Andalusia Cemetery, Andalusia.  In lieu of flowers, please direct memorials to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Humanitarian Aid Fund or online at www.ldsphilanthropies.org.

Online condolences and memories may be left for the family at wheelanpressly.com

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