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Sason hiking in Canyonlands, Utah
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Sason Sharify: A Portrait
Sason Sharify was an immensely, intrinsically, irresistibly likeable person. He was a son and a brother who combined physical charisma with congeniality, friendly charm, and a passion for pushing life to its limits - for testing boundaries, overcoming resistance, doing what others thought couldn't be done. As a competitor, though, he competed first and foremost with his own limitations, always striving to be better, to excel.
Sason was never, ever a prisoner of fear. In another age, perhaps he would have been a knight, which is what the name "Sason" actually means in Persian. As a matter of fact, he had great enthusiasm for the imagery and symbolism of the knight facing down and slaying the dragon, triumphing over inner compulsions and outer obstacles.
Sason had a winning personality, but he was not a self-promoter. His own personal qualities promoted themselves. He thrived amidst adversity and often tasted success - in athletics, in his relations with people, and in fields of education and training. His victories were much less the result of calculation than of triumphant will and a focused fire of passion for sport, for life. He lived his life to its fullest.
Sason had a way of making people feel liked, accepted, and affirmed. He had a magnetism that required little excess speech on his part; his easy manner put others at ease. He was the kind of person who could pat you on the back and make you feel an inch or two taller…the kind of person that hundreds of people have felt privileged to regard as a friend.
- Nathan Funk, PhD, July 2001
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Sason cliff-jumping at Lake Powell
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Sason Sharify: Obituary
[Greeley Tribune, July 21, 2001]
Sason Sharify, 33, of Colorado Springs died Tuesday, July 17, at Lake Powell, Utah. He was born Nov. 18, 1967, in Alamosa to Dean and Nancy (Olga) Sharify. Mr. Sharify graduated from Greeley West High School in 1986, from Adams State College in 1990 with his teaching certificate and from the University of Phoenix with a master's degree in education administration. He taught math and was a track coach at Mesa County School District in Grand Junction from 1990-94 and at Greeley Central High School in 1994-95. He returned to Grand Junction High from 1996-98 and to Colorado Springs' Wasson High School in 1998 to the time of his death. He lived in Greeley from 1975-86, Alamosa from 1986-90, Grand Junction from 1990-94, Greeley from 1994-95, Grand Junction from 1996-98 and had moved to Colorado Springs in 1998. Mr. Sharify loved track and in the summers he held track camps for youth around the state. He also loved boating and water skiing. He was a member of the Colorado Teachers Association and was an All-American in track while at Adams State. Survivors are his parents, Dean and Nancy Sharify of Greeley; a sister, Meena Sharify-Funk of Washington, D.C.; and a brother, Robert Sharify of Sterling, Va. Memorial services were held at 10 a.m. Monday at the Greeley Wesleyan Church. Cremation. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Sason Sharify Scholarship Fund in care of the Allnutt Funeral Service Macy Chapel, 702 13th St., Greeley, CO 80631. Inquiries may be made to sasonsfund@aol.com.
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Memorial Stone for Sason at Lake Powell
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