John Harley Sharrah

John Harley Sharrah

John Harley Sharrah died peacefully at home on March 19, 2021. He was born May 21, 1931, in Ely, Nevada, to Irene Dunkle Sharrah and Harley Henry "Buck" Sharrah. He enlisted in the army in 1949 after graduating from Churchill County High School in Fallon, Nevada, and he served in Korea in the 1st Calvary Division. Upon returning from Korea, he used his VA benefits to attend Modesto Junior College and UC Davis. He served as student body president at both (winning at UC Davis as a write-in candidate). After receiving a BS Degree in Zoology from UC Davis, he went to Sacramento State University and earned his BS in Civil Engineering and found a calling.

After three years working in the Sacramento area, John moved with his family to Redding, California, in 1964. Anderson River Park is John's most enduring legacy of his time with the City of Anderson Public Works Department. After leaving the work with the city, John worked as a civil engineer both independently and in partnerships. He co-founded the engineering firm Sharrah Dunlap Sawyer, Inc. He "retired" in 1998 when he sold his share of the company, but he could not stay retired long and continued to do engineering work until his death. His exceptional engineering skills, along with his knowledge of the geological and hydrological features of the north state, made him a wealth of knowledge for developers and friends. He often sketched initial plan ideas on napkins or scrap paper just from a plot survey. He cared not only about land use but also the aesthetics of a project. John's impact on Shasta and Tehama counties' development in his 55-year career was profound. His professional excellence earned recognition by former Governor Pete Wilson when John was appointed to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board for the Central Valley Region in 1997.

John served in the Army National Guard through 1973 and was honorably discharged at the rank of Captain.

In addition to his professional work, John's second family was his Anderson Rotary Club. A member since 1964, John served as president, was awarded several awards over the years, and was known as the "chowder cook" for the annual Crab feed. His passion for philanthropy extended beyond his work with Rotary to numerous other organizations in the north state area. At the time of his death, he was serving as a Board Member for the Lassen Park Foundation and on the Board of Directors for the Community Revitalization and Development Corporation.

An avid outdoorsman, John enjoyed fishing - whether on Lake Shasta, the coastal waters off Crescent City, the Bering Sea, or Key West's gulf waters. He included many friends on his trips to Kodiak or Adak, Alaska, to fish with his son, Mike.

John loved his children and grandchildren, always finding ways to make their time shared fun and memorable. His great-grandchildren loved sitting at his counter as he popped them popcorn in his fancy machine.

In 2012, John reconnected with his first love, Ruth Fitz (Pintar), and they spent the last eight years together. She shared John's passion for philanthropy. Together, they relished time socializing with special friends and enjoying Mt. Lassen's view from the family room and the deck outside.

Preceded in death by his parents, brother Bill Horlacher, and four grandchildren- Thomas Adam Sharrah, John Jacob Trujillo, Amanda Jane Forrest, and Bryan Gabriel Forrest - John is survived by Ruth, daughters Debra Sharrah and Patty Sharrah Montague (Tyler), son Mike Sharrah, grandsons Clark Montague (Margaret), Ben Montague (Caroline), Shawn Trujillo, and William Forrest, granddaughter Shelby Montague (Jeff Winer), and great-grandchildren Matthew, Lily, and Abigail Sharrah; Ethan and Porter Montague; Bryan and Ronnie Miller, and Adelyn and Johnathan Winer.

John Sharrah was beloved by many and will be greatly missed. A private family service will occur on March 24, and a celebration of life for family and friends will be on May 22 at Anderson River Park. For those who wish to honor his memory, donations may be made to the John Sharrah Fellowship at Anderson Rotary, the Lassen Park Foundation, or Trinity UMC in Anderson, CA - his church home for the past two years.