Sharon Leilani Grove
(1941 – 2023)
It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Sharon Leilani Grove. She gracefully stepped into her next chapter, leaving behind pages filled with love, cheeky jokes, and countless cherished moments.
Survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack, Sharon exemplified strength, yet her spirit remained unscathed, always ready to explore the next chapter in her book or the next destination on her map. Her life was a melody composed with love and laughter, perfectly harmonized with her husband, Fred William Grove. Together they lived by the ethos, “she writes the music; he writes the lyrics” - a symphony of life’s highs, lows, and everything inbetween.
She was a dedicated member of the Burks United Methodist Pairs & Spares Sunday School, where she lovingly ruffled the feathers of those around her with her opinions and stories.
Sharon’s greatest legacy is the family she nurtured and adored - her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Not just the matriarch, she was the heart of the family, guiding with a ubiquitous sense of humor. Her stories, often filled with wit and wisdom, will be retold at family gatherings, keeping her memory alive and vibrant. Sharon is preceded in death by her sister, Joan, and survived by her brothers, Eugene and Jim Dickey; her children, Stephen Yates and his wife, Florence; Lori Leilani Cranfill and her husband, Louis; Mitzi Yates; Allen Grove and his wife, Abigail; Tara Grove and her husband, David Davies, and Ashleigh Schmeltzer. She was a much loved “Nana” to grandchildren, Stevie Yates, Natalie Leilani Tice and Benjamin Jacobs, Andrew Irwin, Allen Micah and Amanda Grove, and Jonathan and Christina Davies; and great-grandchildren, James William and Elizabeth Leilani Tice.
True to her wishes, Sharon’s final resting place will be in New York City’s Central Park, amidst the hustle and serenity she so loved.
The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to Dr. Duplooy and the incredible team of doctors, nurses, and hospice staff. Immense gratitude to Hannah Frazier, who provided exceptional comfort and care in Sharon’s final months.
In remembering Sharon, we recall one of her favorite poems, “Death is Nothing at All” by Henry Scott Holland: Death is nothing at all. It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity.
What is this death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner. All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!
Lola, her rescued companion, has dutifully kept watch and provided endless comfort. In lieu of flowers, donations to McKamey Animal Center will help other pets do the same.
Please share your memories, stories, and photos at www.legacyfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are by Legacy Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8911 Dallas Hollow Road, Soddy-Daisy, TN (423) 843-2525.