Sharon Lynn Dellens

Sharon Lynn Dellens

April 29, 1956 – September 4, 2025

Sharon Lynn Dellens, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away on September 4, 2025. She was 69.

Sherry, as she was known to everyone, was born in 1956 in Detroit, Michigan, to Edwin Bennett and Marian Pratton. She attended Annapolis High School, where she played flute in the school marching band. Despite giving birth to her first child in 1973, Sherry determinedly graduated with her class the following year. Meanwhile, she was warmly welcomed by her husband's family, the Hartons, with whom she remained very close throughout her life. She gave birth to her second child in 1978.

Sherry and her young family moved to Southern California in 1980. Shortly thereafter, she began working as a temporary accounting clerk at the Irvine Ranch Water District, where she worked for over 18 years and made numerous enduring friendships. IRWD proved to be the perfect place for her to launch her meteoric career: It fostered her education, which she pursued as a single mother, starting with an AA degree. She then obtained a Bachelor's degree from Cal State Fullerton, a Certified Public Accountant certification, and finally, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California at the age of 40. By the time she left IRWD in 1999, she was the Acting Controller. From there, she moved on to upper management positions with the City of Irvine, among other places, until she quit working in 2010 to spend more time with family.

Sherry moved to Phoenix that year to be near her youngest son and first grandchild. In 2011, she married Marc Dellens and immediately became stepmother to his three adult daughters. Over the next 14 years, Sherry became a very loving grandmother to 10 grandchildren and crisscrossed the country often to dote on them.

Perhaps the only thing outside of family that competed for Sherry's affection was baseball. A lifelong fan of the Detroit Tigers, she grew to love the Angels and Diamondbacks when she moved to California, and later, Arizona. She had a game on at every opportunity, no matter the teams or time of year. Her zealotry led her to attend All-Star, playoff, and World Series games; visit the Hall of Fame and Field of Dreams, and, in 2024, realize her dream of visiting all 30 Major League stadiums.

Sherry is survived by her husband Marc, sister Tracey, sons Frank and Greg, stepdaughters Melissa, Amanda, and Stacy, and grandchildren Ayden, Brandon, Liam, Andrius, Veronika, Danny, Audrey, Ariana, Henry, and Connor.

In lieu of flowers, please support your local cancer charities and events.