Sharon Kay (Curtis) Spires – Plaistow, NH
Sharon Kay (Curtis) Spires, 75, went home to her Lord and Savior on February 3, 2022, after a glioblastoma diagnosis last April.
Born in 1946 in Missouri to L. Paul and Cora Lee (Cook) Curtis, Sharon grew up in Pennsylvania and attended University of Pittsburgh, graduating with honors in pre-med. She did a short stint as a chemist at Polaroid before choosing motherhood and full-time homemaking. She and husband D. Alan Spires relocated to New England, where they have resided for fifty years.
After building their home in New Hampshire, Sharon planted huge vegetable and flower gardens. She spent countless hours carpooling and volunteering at school for her three children. Before Google, Mom would know the answer, and if she didn’t, she would look it up in the family encyclopedias. After rearing her children, she turned her life-long love of reading and learning into a career as a librarian, eventually directing the children’s room at the Plaistow Public Library.
After reaching their goal of visiting every state in the U.S., Sharon and Al ventured abroad, touring Israel, Greece, and Turkey. They also joined short-term mission trips to Mexico and South Africa. While in Africa, they went on safari to enjoy the native scenery and wildlife. Their passion for travel also took them to Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand. While vacationing in the U.K. and Ireland, Sharon explored her ancestral roots, which had been traced by her parents.
Early in life, Sharon developed a love of the outdoors that was nurtured in Girl Scouts. She continued to camp and hike throughout her adult life, including treks to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, across a glacier to the highest peak in Northern Europe, and over a volcano in New Zealand. She also learned to ski, taking numerous trips to Utah, California, and British Columbia.
Sharon loved to visit her family scattered across the U.S. One of their family traditions is playing board and card games, with Go Fish and Sticky Middle for the youngest up to more complex games like 7 Wonders and Wingspan. She also enjoyed bird watching and putting together jigsaw puzzles.
For over fifty years, she was a faithful member of Fellowship Bible Church in Methuen, MA, sharing the Bible with women and children as well as managing the library. Her church family will sorely miss her and the kind words she shared with so many.
She will also be dearly missed by Alan, her husband of fifty-three years, as well as her daughter Rebecca Velez and her husband Marc (NH), son Jonathan Spires and his wife Jennifer (FL), and son Jeffrey Spires (NH). She is also survived by her three brothers: Charles Curtis (FL), Lee Curtis and his wife Alexandra (MD), and Harold Curtis and his wife Nancy (PA). Her grandchildren Brandon, Katelynn, Ashley, Alyssa, Logan, and Ryan will miss their Nana. She also had two nieces and many nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to Fellowship Bible Mission or the American Cancer Society. They appreciate all the flowers, cards, meals, and other thoughtful gestures during Sharon’s illness. A celebration of her life is being planned in the Spring at Fellowship Bible Church in Methuen, MA. Goundrey & Dewhirst Funeral Home, 42 Main Street, Salem, NH 03079 is entrusted with the arrangements. Please visit www.goundreydewhirstfuneral.com to sign the online guest book.
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