Sharron Louise O'Brien

Sharron Louise O'Brien (née Harder), age 81, of Waukesha, Wisconsin, passed away on Friday, August 28, 2026, at 7:10 p.m.

Sharron was born on July 30, 1945, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, to Spencer and Helen Harder. She built a life centered upon the things that mattered most to her: her faith, her family, her friendships, and caring for the people around her.

On July 10, 1976, Sharron married Thomas David O'Brien at Gesu Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Together, Sharron and Thomas built a family and shared fifty years of marriage.

Sharron was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She loved being surrounded by family and took particular joy in bringing people together. Holidays meant a home filled with family and friends, meals, conversation, laughter, and entertainment. Her home was more than simply the place where she lived—it was a place where people were welcomed.

That hospitality extended far beyond holidays and family gatherings. Sharron genuinely loved people and placed tremendous importance on her relationships with them. She was loving, spiritual, influential, generous, and caring. If someone needed help, Sharron wanted to help them. She would, as the saying goes, give someone the shirt off her back. At different times, that generosity even meant opening her home to people who needed somewhere to stay.

Her desire to serve others was also reflected in her work as the owner of The Giving Tree Christian Books and Gifts. For Sharron, The Giving Tree was more than a business. It was another way of serving Waukesha and the surrounding Milwaukee-area communities. Through the store, she helped people find thoughtful and spiritual books, gifts, religious items, and other resources through which they could celebrate and express their faith.

Faith remained at the center of Sharron's life. She was an active and beloved member of her church community, Living Word Lutheran Church, where she had a special ability to make people feel welcome. She enthusiastically participated in church social activities and outreach and was especially warm toward newcomers. To those who knew her there, Sharron could truly be the life of the church.

She also knew how to have fun. Sharron enjoyed crafting and creating stained-glass projects, and she had an unmistakable fondness for anything that sparkled—particularly if it was purple. She collected as much "purple bling" as she could get her hands on.

Those closest to Sharron will also remember her wonderfully unique way with words. Her many verbal malapropisms—affectionately known by her family as "Sharronisms"—were a constant source of smiles and laughter. She might remind you to "dot your T's and cross your I's," or enthusiastically refer to Neil Diamond's Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show as "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Army Show." There were countless others, and her family always laughed with her in the sweet and loving way that families do. Those little turns of phrase became part of the unmistakable personality that made Sharron, Sharron.

Sharron is survived by her husband, Thomas “Tom” D. O'Brien; her children, Theresa Marie Curtis, Steven Thomas (Michelle) O'Brien, Erin (Scott) Barrier, and Sean Matthew (Anna) O'Brien; her siblings, Judy (Darwin) Hoefs, Jean Jackson, and Richard (Bonnie) Harder; her grandchildren, Breanna (Paul), Callie, Logan, Caitlin, Liam, Genevieve, Nicole (John), Sara (Chris), Amanda (Reed), Hailey, Lacey, and Holly; and her great-grandchildren, Jack, Bodie, and Ruby.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Spencer and Helen Harder; her siblings, Joan Greene, Larry Harder, and Ronald Harder; her daughter, Laura Jean O'Brien; her son, Steven Richard Kind; and her granddaughter, Melissa.

Sharron leaves behind a family she dearly loved, a church she faithfully served, a community she cared about, and countless people who experienced her kindness and generosity firsthand. Her legacy can be found in the relationships she nurtured, the people she welcomed, the faith she shared, and the family gatherings she so loved to create.

Her family will remember her not simply for what she accomplished, but for the way she made people feel: loved, welcomed, cared for, and at home.

Visitation for Sharron will be held at Living Word Lutheran Church, 3140 Saylesville Rd, Waukesha, WI 53189 on Thursday, September 3, 2026 from 10:30 a.m. until the 12:00 noon funeral service. Pastor John Borgwardt officiating. Following the funeral service, Sharron will be laid to rest at Prairie Home Cemetery in Waukesha. Family and friends will then return to Living Word Lutheran Church for a reception and time of fellowship. Memorials in Sharron’s name are appreciated to the Salvation Army or Tunnels to Towers. Flowers may be sent directly to church on Thursday.