Sharon Joyce Pickup, beloved wife of Kevin Pickup of Yorkton, passed away Friday, July 7, 2017 at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre. She was 54 years of age. Sharon was born April 18, 1963 in Nokomis, SK, the 5th of 6 children born to Karl and Gladys Riess. She graduated with her High School Diploma from the Nokomis School and moved on to Regina to work at the Army and Navy Department Store. In 1982 it was discovered that she had a brain tumor. Thankfully the tumor was benign. She went on to have numerous surgeries thereafter, but that never deterred her from enjoying life and raising her family. July 20, 1985 Sharon met the man of her dreams at a friend's wedding. Kevin and Sharon were engaged on February 14, 1986 and happily married on March 28, 1987. They settled in Yorkton and started their family. They were blessed with 4 children. Sharon loved people. She was blessed with a kind heart and a sense of humour and as such enjoyed her career working as a Special Care Aide with the Sunrise Health Region. When her health declined and she was no longer able to continue working she enjoyed being a part of her community in other ways. She volunteered at the Lions Day Wellness, was an active member of her church community, the Acquired Brain Injury Group and the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association. Sharon loved to "knit the world together" and was known to make connections between people in some way or another. She made friends easily with her humor and wit and her quick-witted sayings will be missed by so many. Sharon was predeceased by her parents Karl and Gladys Riess. She is survived by her loving husband Kevin; son Cameron (Jessica) of Saskatoon; daughters: Hillary (Michael) of Saskatoon; Gillian (Nathan) of Yorkton; and April of Yorkton; seven grandchildren: Joshua, Natalie, Jaxson, Kyron, Lucian, Astrid and Griffin. Siblings: Linda & Ron Stephan of Lanigan; Sheila Riess of Canora; Hector Riess & Ruth Derow of Rokeby; Robert & Debbie Riess of Yorkton; Lyle & Allie Riess of Drayton Valley, AB. Her mother and father-in-law: John & Myrna Pickup of Broadview SK; her sisters-in-law: Brenda & Wesley Parker of Broadview; Linda Pickup & Bob Pynten of Kamloops, BC; Sheila & Wayne Westcott of Regina, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. The funeral service was held on Friday, July 14, 2017 from Westview United Church in Yorkton with Rev. Deborah Smith officiating. The eulogists were Hector Riess and Brenda Parker. Organist, Laurene Jemieff led members of the Church Choir and the congregation in the singing of the hymns 'Come In, Come In and Sit Down', 'Jesus Loves Me', 'In the Bulb There Is A Flower' and 'I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry'. The interment took place in the Garden of Memories at the Yorkton Memorial Gardens with son Cameron and grandson Jaxson serving as the urn bearers. Condolences can be left at baileysfuneralhome.com. Memorials were to the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association, c/o Yorkton Chapter SBIA at 92 Logan Cres. W., Yorkton, SK S3N 0W5.
