Ayako Yamamoto Sharp

Ayako Yamamoto Sharp Sept 13, 1930-April 10, 2021 Our loving mother, grandmother, and friend Ayako Yamamoto Sharp, 90, passed away peacefully on April 10, 2021 in Littleton, Colorado. Ayako was born in Manchuria, China on Sept 13, 1930 and was the 3rd oldest of 7 children to Shizuo Yamamoto and Sode Ichinose. Because her father was an officer in the Japanese army that invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria, China during World War I, Ayako was born in Manchuria and later moved to Sasebo, Japan with her family. Nearly 15 years later, Ayako would survive yet another war. Near the end of World War II on August 6, 1945 when Ayako was just 14 years old, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima and again 3 days later on Nagasaki, mere miles from Ayako’s family home. Ayako remembered vividly war airplanes flying overhead and smoke filled streets, taking refuge in a hole in the ground awaiting the calm after the storm. Her experiences as a young child and later as a teenager fostered in her great strength, mental toughness, resilience, and strong sense of selfless service toward others. In 1961, she met the only man she ever dated, the love of her life, Sidney Norris Sharp, an officer in the United States Navy who was stationed in Sasebo, Japan and deployed out to sea shortly thereafter. After writing letters to each other for a better part of 9 months, they fell in love and were married by a justice of the peace in Fukuoka, Japan Dec 27, 1962. Shortly after they married, they moved to San Diego, California where they adopted their only child, Erica Victoria (Sharp) Shields. When asked why she only adopted one child, she said, “One is enough!” In 1972, Ayako and her small family moved to Midvale, Utah where Ayako was known for her spotless home and immaculate garden. She quickly became well-known for her artistic talents and loved to display her talented “green thumb” through pruning and weeding daily and perfecting her Japanese flower garden. When she was not gardening, she would often spend up to 10 hours a day knitting blankets and booties or crocheting original pieces that now grace the homes and churches of hundreds throughout the world. She also loved doing origami and making homemade cards as gifts with her favorite flower, the Columbine. Ayako was beloved by all and became known as Pepsi grandma as she insisted on giving the guests who came to her door, even the mailman, a can of Pepsi and a handful of Lindor chocolates, or her favorite Castella cake. She even befriended a wild, stray cat who she affectionately named Missionary because he always came looking for food. Ayako never missed an opportunity to “accidentally” take a piece of chicken from Golden Coral or Chuck-A-Rama for Missionary. Ayako’s greatest joy came from the time she spent with her 4 grandchildren. She always looked forward to any opportunity to teach them how to make sushi or sour cream cake, or how to fold origami or make homemade cards with dried flowers, or how to make money by picking up rocks or green beans in the garden, or by pulling weeds. The grandchildren, however, always looked forward to when gramma would say, “Come here, I have a secret” and would proceed to give them money from her “secret stash.” Three years after the passing of her husband Sidney, Ayako was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s but never lost her sense of humor and ability to tell jokes and make people happy with her infectious smile and laugh. She always had a sweet and loving affection toward others and was still putting Lindor chocolates in the pockets of her loving doctors, nurses, and caretakers until her last breath. When anyone spoke of Ayako they always said, “She is so cute! I just love her!” She touched the lives of all who knew her and made a lasting impact in their lives. On April 26, 2021, Ayako was reunited with her love Sidney, and was interred at Fort Logan National Cemetery. She is survived by her only child, Erica Victoria Shields, 4 grandchildren Alexa Nofsinger, Taylor Nofsinger, Rocky Shields, and Rylie Shields, and 2 siblings, Shigeko (Machiko Martha) Scott, and Koji Yamamoto.