Obituary: Sharon Rose Neem

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Sharon Rose Neem

March 1, 1941 – April 19, 2023

Sharon Neem of Camano Island, WA passed away of heart failure April 19, 2023, in Bellingham, with her entire family by her side. She was 82 years old.

Sharon was born in Oak Park, IL on March 1, 1941, to the late Robert B. Griffith and Catherine Thompson Griffith. They lived in Illinois until moving to Hot Springs, MT, and when she was a teenager the family moved to Kennewick, WA where she graduated from high school. 

Sharon attended Columbia Basin Junior College and worked as a stenographer and secretary for General Electric and Boeing. She later became a small business owner, providing typesetting services called Sharon’s Type.

She married Ted Peter Ferguson, originally from Seattle in 1964, and they raised two sons Greg Falon and Brian Scott. They lived in Kennewick and later moved to Burlington, WA. Sadly, Ted passed away of heart failure in 1983 and Sharon worked tirelessly to ensure that Ted’s memory lived on, and that the family knew who he was.

Her second marriage was to Rein Neem, originally from Parnu, Estonia and later from White Rock, B.C. They married in 1990 and resided in Blaine. Sharon retired from the typesetting business and she and Rein traveled to many places such as Mexico, Canada and Hawaii.

Sharon moved to Camano Island in August 2022 to be closer to family. She had a Havanese puppy, Lucky, who brought her many smiles. 

Sharon cherished her family. She loved genealogy and preserving family history. She enjoyed attending musicals, plays, and traveling. She was past president of the Whatcom County Genealogical Society, currently serving as chair of the publicity and newsletter committee. She was an active member of the Blaine Senior Center, and a proud member of the Whatcom Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Sharon was a patriot and believed strongly in the Constitution and loved our country and its military. 

Sharon is survived by her sons, Greg Ferguson and his wife Kari Ferguson and grandsons Cole Ferguson and Keegan Ferguson of Stanwood, WA; Brian Ferguson and his wife Jennifer Ferguson of Camano Island, WA and grand-daughters Abigail Ferguson and Natalie Ferguson of Mt Vernon, WA; stepdaughter Carmen Payne and her husband Timothy Payne, and her stepgrandchildren Sydney Payne and Logan Payne of Maple Ridge, BC.

She will be laid to rest next to her first husband Ted Ferguson in Burlington, WA. A private family memorial service will be held graveside and a Celebration of Life will be planned in the coming months of 2023.

Donations may be made in her honor to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation https://t2t.org or the American Heart Association https://heart.org .

Please visit www.hulbushfuneralhome.com to share your thoughts and memories and sign the online guest register.

Arrangements are under the care of Hulbush Funeral Home, Burlington, WA.


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