Sharon West 1939-2023

There aren’t many people described by others as a “queen,” but admit to wishing they could use the smell of burned rubber and oil as perfume.

That’s because there aren’t many people like Sharon West, the trailblazing head cheerleader for all things Owatonna.

West died unexpectedly last week at her home. She was 84.

Her friends and family are comforted by the fact that she is reunited with her husband Harvey, who died in 2008. Though the couple had no children, it seemed everyone considered them to be family.

Sharon and Harvey West were known and loved not only locally, but in the auto racing world, where Sharon was known as a capable member of the pit crew and led the quality control.

Their travels, both on the track and as spectators, took them around the world – and led to a brief encounter with actor Paul Newman.

It was the local connections, however, that made her special. The stories about West have poured in since the news of her death.

Perhaps not surprisingly, it’s the little things she did that have had the most profound effect on those who knew her.

“Sharon had many circles of friends and loved every aspect of her life,” said Laura Resler, who met West while working on the Owatonna Sesquicentennial Committee in the early 2000s.

“We loved nothing more than to have her over for supper and great conversation; many hours were spent around the table, and the conversation never waned,” Resler said. “I’m sure if you ask any of her other friends, they will say the same thing.”

Rhonda Guthier, of the Owatonna Chamber of Commerce, had dinner with West just two days before her death.

“We had a great time,” she said of their evening out. “We liked to just talk and be together.”

As the two paid their bills, West pulled out a little coin pouch with an image of Elvis Presley on it.

Guthier had given it to her some years before, and West held it up and said, “Rhonda this is the best thing you ever gave me.”

The two met in 2007, when West volunteered at the Chamber office. She was the first female president of the Chamber’s Executive Board, “despite getting some pushback,” Guthier said.

Resler agreed.

“As a woman, Sharon was way ahead of her time, a professional working woman when that wasn’t typical or the norm,” she said. “She was a leader and always, always there to help, no matter the situation.”

Steve Smith, who returned to Owatonna in 1981 to take over his father’s law firm, saw the leadership firsthand.

He got involved with the community, including Rotary Club, at a time when they were considering admitting women as members.

“Sharon was one of the first to be admitted,” Smith said, “and I remember that ‘God Save the Queen’ was played for her when she joined. She always had that queenly bearing.”

Smith also met the Wests’ racing friends at a track in Kansas.

“There, as here, they were held in high regard for their friendliness and sociability,” he said.

West continued to travel and contribute to the community after Harvey’s death, still driving herself to car races in places like Indiana and Michigan – where she was chief registrar at many races.

“Even though it (started as) Harvey’s hobby, it was hers as well; she was very committed,” Guthier said.

It’s how Klane Dushek met West, sharing a love of racing and vintage cars.

He, too, saw his friend just two days before her death.

“I stopped there on my way home from work,” Dushek said. “We sat at the table and talked, and I gave her tickets to the Shawn Johnson concert. She couldn’t decide which friend to take with her.”

He remembers West’s dedication to racing, even after Harvey’s death.

The two drove to a race in New Richmond, Wis., arriving a couple of hours before the gate opened, tailgating, then sitting through a pair of lengthy rain delays.

“By the time the finals started, it was 11:30 at night, it was about 30 degrees, and we had a two-hour drive home,” Dushek said. He asked West if she wanted to leave.

“She told me, ‘I came here to see sprint cars, and we’re going to watch.’ I dropped her off at home at 2:45 the next morning,” he said, laughing.

He, too, has a clear memory of her gratitude, stemming from a ramp he and Johnny Parsons III built from her garage into her house.

“She said to us, ‘this is the greatest Christmas present ever. I think of you guys every day I go up this ramp,’” Dushek said.

But West never wanted to be a burden, Guthier said, which has made her unexpected death somewhat less painful.

“She got what she wanted: To go quickly and peacefully, and I know she’s with Harvey,” Guthier said – perhaps enjoying a sweet.

West loved a good piece of dark chocolate from Costa’s Candies, as well as donuts and Christmas treats, her friends said.

She was also witty, with a great sense of humor and a love of banter, they said.

“Working with Sharon was fun,” Smith said. “She was very social, could deliver and take a joke.”

It was the laughter that Piper Pfiel, West’s niece, will miss the most.

Pfiel described a trip West and her good friend, Betsy Lindgren, took to visit her in Payson, Ariz., a couple of years ago.

“She was truly gracious with our mountain lifestyle,” Pfiel said, and described visits to the Pine Lavender Fields and Payson’s Chamber of Commerce with her aunt and confidant.

“But mostly, we sat on my porch and fed squirrels,” she said. “She gave me great advice on one of my cats – told me he needed a diet. We laughed so hard.

“Her humor with me was unmatched,” Pfiel said. “This is my most favorite memory of Sharon, but she was a treasure to all that knew her.

“She was a beautiful ray of light and had a heart of gold.”

Resler echoed Pfiel’s sentiments.

“Sharon was a gift to all who knew her and a gift to our community in more ways than one,” she said. “Her sharing of her time and treasure will continue to positively impact Owatonna for many years to come.”

West was a master at “building relationships and connecting with people,” said Mike Jensen, owner of Tri-M Graphics, even when separated by time or distance.

“She was a mentor and a friend,” Guthier said through tears, “and almost like a second mom to me. We didn’t have to see each other every week; we just picked up where we left off.”

Her love for people – and the community – knew no limits, Jensen said.

“She had knowledge and respect for our history, but understood that there was a future, and we needed to lean into that,” he said. “She believed in the community and in our future.”

West’s friends and family struggle to picture a future without her, though.

“I’m still in disbelief that this person who lit up the world is gone,” Lindgren said.

Guthier feels the same.

“She was my rock,” she said. “I could always count on her, whatever the situation. I know I’m blessed, but I’m so sad. She’s going to be with me forever.

“She was so kind and giving. Queen Sharon, you know?”