Obituary: Sharon Leilani Whittington

For 90 years, Sharon Leilani Whittington embodied everyday goodness as one who asked for nothing and gave everything. Born on August 14, 1935, in Honolulu, Hawaii, she grew up in Manoa Valley, where even as a child she possessed an uplifting spirit that drew people in without her ever trying. Her parents, George and Olivia Palmer, adored her; her sisters, Louise and Tricia, loved her dearly. She was the middle child, but everyone’s favorite, and no one ever resented it because her kindness made her the heart of the family.

She carried that goodness into adulthood, first as Sharon Palmer, then as Sharon Bachman, and later as Sharon Whittington. She married her high school sweetheart, Stan Bachman and loved him with the pure sincerity that came naturally to her. When Stan died of Hodgkin’s disease, Sharon’s heart broke, but her spirit didn’t. Over time, she found love again with Frank Whittington, and they built a successful and fulfilling life together. Frank would later recognize that Sharon carried the practical load of their life. He was the dreamer, always seeing the big picture, but Sharon was the one who tended the details that allowed Frank to pursue their dreams.

Sharon earned her teaching credential at CSU Northridge and spent the 1960s teaching third grade at Solvang Elementary School. She adored third graders because they were old enough to think and young enough to believe. She approached her classroom the same way she approached everything: with patience, fairness, and an instinctive understanding that people bloom when treated with kindness.

But motherhood was the calling Sharon cherished most. From the time she was a little girl, loving her dolls, she dreamed of having children. Her daughters, Tiffany and Robyn, would one day discover that their mother didn’t just have that dream; she built a life around it. In the early years, she managed the family budget with strict discipline, allowing the family to take six-week camping trips every summer because she wanted her children to spend time in nature. She ensured there were horses for the girls, national parks to explore, days filled with adventures, and evenings ending with card games.

Sharon was the moral compass of her family. She loved without conditions, assumed good intentions, and extended fairness without keeping score. She was gentle by nature but firm when something violated her sense of right and wrong. Beneath her softness lived enormous strength.

In 1988 Sharon and Frank settled in Fort Jones, where she spent nearly four decades. She hiked mountain trails, bowled in leagues, took Pilates classes, and collected friends wherever she went. She loved animals of all kinds; dogs were constant companions from her childhood dog, Butcho, to the many that followed. She fed birds, watched for wildlife, and saw beauty in every rock, tree, and cloud.

Everyone who met her, even briefly, loved her. Not because she tried to impress, but because her presence reminded people how good humans can be.

Sharon is preceded in death by her parents, her first husband Stan, her husband Frank, and her sister Louise. She is survived by her daughters, Tiffany (Garron) Whitehouse and Robyn (Jon) Paterson; her stepdaughters Alison (Charlie) Sanchez and Amber (Nancy) Whittington; her grandchildren Christy (Jose) Barajas, Braden Whitehouse, Jarob Wanner, Marliana Wanner, Alaina (Greg) Vandermade, and Carla (Ben) Broidy; her great-grandchildren Mykenzi Filice, Wyatt Vandermade, and Logan Vandermade; and her sister, Tricia Azzone.

Sharon died on November 6, 2025, in Yreka, California. The world lost a rare soul – someone who made others feel valued, appreciated, and loved simply by being herself. Her legacy lives on in everyone with whom she played a game of cards, encouraged, comforted, and welcomed, and in the mountains, trails, and family she adored with unwavering devotion.

Donations in Sharon’s honor can be made to Madrone Hospice, 255 Collier Circle, Yreka, CA 96097 or at https://www.madronehospice.org/support.

Services will be set for a future date to be determined.

sourced: Girdner Funeral Chapel