Sharon Tuttle-Riggs

On November 12th, our beloved Sharon returned home to the arms of her Heavenly Father. She was born on November 6, 1977 to Diane Zupan Riggs and Samuel Tuttle. Sharon was a light in the lives of all who knew her. 

Sharon had special needs and physical limitations, but she didn’t let that hold her down. Anything she set her mind to, she did. She had many accomplishments throughout her life.

Sharon was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1986 and remained faithful throughout her life.  She was a service missionary at Temple Square from 1998 to 1999. She was endowed in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple in 2014.

She was an independent and inspiring soul. She was able to utilize public transit to go wherever she wanted in the Salt Lake Valley. She quickly figured out bus and train routes. She mentored new clients in her self-sufficiency program Latitude where she was also client. 

Despite her physical limitations, Sharon pushed herself to improve.  She learned to ride a bike before her mother Diane was told to “never let her ride a bike.” She was part of the Special Olympics on the “Oquirrh Thunder Team” for two years, where she participated in Shot Putt (Softball throw), Javelin (Nerf Dart) in which she took home 2nd place this year, and women’s 50-yard dash (walk) where she took 5th place.

She was an amazing card player and would often play a game with others called shanghai.  It is a game that is quite challenging and requires a lot of strategy.  She would win against her opponents about as much as they beat her. Those who played with her were always amazed at how what seemed to be a disorganized mess of cards could win a hand.

She worked with Bluffdale Community Arts, where she was in Annie, Shrek, and Seussical the Musical. She also helped by distributing placards and flyers for other plays. 

Sharon loved to cook, even though she was “recipe challenged.” She had a creative side and made diamond art & paint by numbers paintings, and loved scrapbooking. She always tried to create a homemade present for her friends and family. Her latest fun was freeze drying candy. 

Sharon helped her aunt Jennifer to foster kittens.  Her favorite was one that was named Poirot or “Purrow”.  He needed to be bottle fed which she helped with.  She soon became very attached to him.  When he was big enough, she couldn't bear the thought of sending him away to be adopted.  Thankfully, she was able to adopt him herself, and he quickly became her emotional support animal.  She loved and cared for him until the day she passed away.  

She loved children and especially babies. She spent some time volunteering at a child-care center.

Sharon had a multitude of friends and acquaintances. If she met someone, they quickly became her friend.  She would remember people from years ago and on many occasions would run into people she knew several hundred miles from home.  It was uncanny to others, but also a great testament to her loving and caring nature.       

She was dedicated in both professional and personal endeavors. She worked at Walmart for 15 years and loved to meet the customers. She would often remember details they shared and inquire on how things were going when she saw them. 

Before cell phones Diane called her a “walking phone book.” She knew everybody’s phone number and loved to call people to chat.  
 
Sharon loved birthdays.  She remembered everyone’s birthday. Not a birthday passed where a friend or family member didn’t receive a phone call from Sharon wishing them a happy birthday and singing them a song. She loved to celebrate her own birthday and celebrated all month long. Of course, with all her friends that wanted to celebrate with her, one month was barely enough time. Even sick in the hospital, she started counting down her birthday several weeks in advance.  We are grateful to have celebrated Sharon’s birthday with her one final time before her passing, and we wish her many more in the company of her family and friends that have passed away before her and her Heavenly Father. 

Sharon spoke her own language in which she pronounced words differently.  It was lovingly referred to as “Sharoneze” by her family. 

She is preceded in death by her mother Diane Zupan Riggs; grandparents; Dan “Grizz” & Charlotte Zupan, Samuel & Arlene Tuttle, and Marlene Riggs. 

She is survived by family members, including: her father Samuel Tuttle & dad Scott Riggs (Cyndi) who loved and cared for her as if she were his own child since she was five; grandfather C. Vaughn Riggs; siblings Sharlene Archuletta (Uel), Sara Riggs, Travis Riggs, Marinda “Min” Tuttle, Josh Tuttle, and Andrew Tuttle; nieces and nephews Zakery Archuletta, Jarek Archuletta, Ethan Archuletta, Aurora Archuletta, Charlotte Fry, Henry Fry, Uel Archuletta, Chanelle Murrell; and some of her aunts & uncles who cared for her throughout her lifetime; RaNae Bowen, Ellen Maybe, Dan Zupan, Jennifer & David McMurtrie, Michelle & Mitch Lacy, Julie & Guy Lewis, Melanie Fuller, Brian & Katie Riggs, Nathan & Shelly Riggs and Sherri & David Somers. 

Funeral Services will be held Friday November 17th, 2023 in the Latter-Day Saint church house located at 2361 W 13400 S. Beginning at 12:30 pm with a viewing one hour prior. There will also be a viewing on Thursday November 16th at Goff Mortuary, 8090 S State in Midvale from 6 - 8 pm. 

The service will be livestreamed on the Goff Mortuary Facebook Page at the following link: 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Funeral-Service---Cemetery/Goff-Mortuary-116988261695382/ 
(The livestream video will appear when the service starts.)