Aaron John Bagshaw

Aaron John Bagshaw, 48, passed away on May 12, 2023, at his home in Salt Lake City after fighting an infection following treatment for bladder cancer. He was born on April 28, 1975, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Wanda Marie Sackett Nielsen. His third marriage was to Sheryl Kay Bever and according to Aaron, the third time was a charm. They were married in Salt Lake City, Utah on September 24, 2014.
As a child/youth, Aaron was involved in 4-H and Scouting. He enjoyed riding horses and riding his bike all over the city. Aaron had learning disabilities which impeded his job prospects. He worked most of his life in manual labor jobs mainly as a carpet layer and then a sandblaster which he enjoyed but which he was unable to continue to do after his open heart surgery in 2015. Since that time, he had applied for (and was denied) Social Security Disability which bothered him greatly because he wanted to work and provide for his family; however, he was unequipped for anything other than the manual labor that he could no longer do.
Aaron was an avid outdoorsman. He loved hunting and taking his 4 children to the rifle range. He also enjoyed camping, especially "rough" style camping and his favorite trip was when he and his wife Sheryl camped off of the back of the 4 wheeler and drove 500 miles through the west desert area of Utah. He loved fishing and could be found year-round doing so at Strawberry Lake, Scofield Lake, and Vernon Reservoir. His favorite was ice fishing where his dogs would pull his sled out to a fishing spot and he would camp out on the lake. He thought it was funny when the other ice fishermen said they had to hurry and get home to their wives because Aaron's wife was there with him. Aaron loved animals and his dogs were his best companions. He joked that his wife and kids came second to his dogs (and later to his cat). After Aaron's open heart surgery, he wanted to find a way to exercise his dogs that wouldn't pull on his chest. He started hooking up his dogs to his bike and a scooter and then learned that this was a "whole thing." He connected with a group of dog mushers in Utah and became a member of the dog sledding family. This became such a passion for Aaron that he and a dear friend custom built a trailer so that he could travel and take his dogs with him wherever he went.
For much of Aaron's life, he struggled with depression and drug abuse; however, with the help of friends and family, he overcame addiction and at the end of life one of his only regrets was that he had not conquered giving up cigarettes. He always taught his children to stay away from the substances that he felt held him back in life.
Aaron had a rough exterior but anyone who knew him knew that he had a good heart and an even greater sense of humor. He was the type of person that you would be afraid to meet in an alley but then would soon find that he was really just a big teddy bear. Aaron enjoyed serving others and he was especially good to the elderly in his neighborhood. He was often found mowing lawns, raking leaves, and shoveling snow for our seniors and he never asked anything in return. This was something that became more and more difficult for him to do as his diseases progressed but he would still try. Aaron was also very close to his mother and helped to look after her as she aged and had her own medical issues.
Aaron was a fun, loving husband and father. He had 2 biological children and 2 step-children whom he treated as just his "kids" – there was no delineation of mine/yours, but only "ours." He enjoyed playing with the kids and taking them on his outdoor excursions/adventures. Toward the end, he had an opportunity to say his goodbyes and give specific advice to each of them. He encouraged the kids to continue their education and pursue their personal and career goals.
Aaron struggled many years with his health including heart issues with a valve replacement, bladder cancer with surgery and routine procedures, back pain with therapy and injections, and COPD with increasing breathing treatments and need for supportive oxygen. He prided himself on being a very capable person and had difficulty sharing his medical concerns with others. Despite his increased medical needs, Aaron continued living life the best he could.
Aaron is survived by: wife Sheryl Bagshaw; mother Wanda Nielsen; sons Christopher Salas, Ace Bagshaw, and Alexander Salas-Diamantino; daughter Rena Bagshaw; brothers Joseph Bagshaw and David Bagshaw.
Aaron was preceded in death by: his grandparents LaVar and Rena Sackett, aunt Bonnie and uncle Newell Johnson, and best friend Lynn Mercer.
Aaron chose to be cremated and he did not want to have a funeral service. Per his wishes, a memorial celebration of life will be held in June for invited friends and family only which will be sent out within the week.
The family would like to thank IMC Hospital's Cardiac ICU and Medical Floor, CNS Hospice, Serenity Funeral Home, Utah Case Management (Sheryl's employer), the Cannon 5th Ward, and various friends and family who have supported us through this difficult time.