Sharyn ‘Shari’ (Tift) Hargrave

Sharyn “Shari” Hargrave, RN, of Mesa, Arizona, passed away of heart failure on July 1, 2022, at Mountain Vista Medical Center. She was born on Oct. 30, 1950, in Charles City, Iowa. Shari attended Immaculate Conception Grade School in Charles City and was a proud 1968 graduate of St. Margaret’s Academy in Minneapolis, Minn.

She received her training from Mayo Clinic as a Respiratory Therapist and served at hospitals in Minnesota, Iowa and Arizona. Eventually, she received her associate degree in Nursing from ­­­­­Mesa Community College and served as an ER nurse at Thunderbird Samaritan Hospital. When she stepped away from nursing, she launched her own business as a geriatric care manager for residents of Sun City, Arizona.

Shari cherished her times living in Iowa, Minnesota, and eventually Arizona where she reconnected with, and later married, her kindergarten classmate Jim Hargrave. In addition to her passion for medicine and serving others in the healthcare field, Shari loved spending time with her extended family, reading, and music. Shari and Jim loved to travel and visit friends and family, and last summer they completed a cross-country trip together in their RV.

Shari is survived by her loving husband, Jim Hargrave of Mesa, AZ; her stepchildren Clint (Sharon) Hargrave of Tempe, AZ, Tanner Hargrave (Samerleih Beccehetti) of St. Petersburg, FL, Justin (Kristina) Hargrave of Mesa, AZ, Brookeanne Hargrave of Mesa, AZ; her brothers J. Neil (Denise) Tift of Mesa, AZ, Jim (Jan) Tift of Annandale, MN, Dr. Bob (Anna) Tift of St. Louis Park, MN; brother-in-law Lyle (Betty) Hargrave of Phoenix, AZ; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Shari was preceded in death by her mother and best friend, Marilyn Tift, and her father who was also her mentor and hero, John Tift, of Sun City, Arizona.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be on Saturday, July 23, at 10 a.m. at Christ the King Roman Catholic Church, 1551 E. Dana Ave, Mesa, AZ. Visitation will be held one hour before the funeral at the church. A private burial will be at Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

Instead of flowers, memorials may be sent to the family or sent to Open Arms Home for Children, P.O. Box 2198, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340, or online at www.openarmshome.com/.

Arrangements are being handled by Queen of Heaven Funeral Home, (480) 892-3729.