Sharon Anne (Kauk) Watkins

Sharon was born on February 21, 1947, in Oakland, California, and grew up in the Imperial Valley. She attended Imperial High School before continuing her education in Riverside, California, where she met the love of her life, Daniel Watkins. Dan was stationed at March Air Force Base while serving in the United States Air Force. They were married in a Catholic church in Deer Park, New York, in 1967 and shared nearly 59 years of love, laughter, faith, and adventure.

After marrying, Dan and Sharon returned to the Imperial Valley, where Sharon worked for the Imperial Irrigation District and later the California Mid-Winter Fair. Dan served with the El Centro Fire Department, eventually becoming a Battalion Chief. The family eventually settled in Reno, Nevada, where Sharon worked for NV Energy (Sierra Pacific Power Company) and built a life filled with family, friends, and cherished memories.

Sharon was incredibly intelligent, quick-witted, kind, and thoughtful. She had a way of making people feel seen, welcomed, and loved. She never hesitated to help someone in need and would gladly give her time, energy, and heart to anyone who needed it. To know Sharon was to love her.

She loved her family fiercely and found her greatest joy in being a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. Nothing made her happier than spending time with her grandsons, Brady, Timmy, Karson, and Ryan, who brought endless joy to her life and whom she adored more than words can express.

Sharon’s love extended far beyond her immediate family. During their years in El Centro, her niece Wendie and nephew Tommy lived with Sharon and Dan for a period of time, and they always held a special place in her heart.

Sharon loved her country, the outdoors, boating, camping, fishing, bowling, and spending time at Lake Almanor with her family. She was an excellent bowler and spent many years bowling alongside her son, Danny, creating memories they both treasured. Family camping trips were a favorite tradition, and there was never a shortage of adventures. One summer, Dan managed to get the family lost for hours on the Pony Express Trail while driving a full size RV. The story became part of family lore and was retold with laughter for years afterward.

Sharon loved the color purple, treasured family gatherings, and never missed an opportunity to laugh. One family story that perfectly captured her loving heart involved rescuing what she believed was a lost goat with her daughter. When Dan discovered what they had done, he was less than thrilled and famously exclaimed, “It’s a range goat!” Sharon’s good intentions were rewarded when the goat proceeded to eat parts of the interior of her car, along with Jennifer’s homework. The incident became one of many family stories that brought laughter for years to come.

Sharon is survived by her devoted husband, Daniel Watkins; her daughter, Jennifer Odom; her son, Daniel Watkins, and daughter-in law, Tida Watkins; her brother, Larry Kauk, and sister-in-law, Marilyn Kauk; her grandsons, Brady and Timmy Odom and Karson and Ryan Watkins; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Emanuel Kauk; her mother, Camille Jenks; her stepfather, Cap Jenks; and her brother, Glen Kauk.

While her family mourns her passing, they find comfort in knowing that she is now in the presence of her Savior and reunited with her mother, brother, and other loved ones who have gone before her. Sharon’s legacy lives on through the countless lives she touched with her kindness, faith, humor, and unconditional love.

She will be deeply missed, forever remembered, and always loved.