Sharon Nordgren Obituary Sharon L. Nordgren 10/21/1943-02/10/2024 Sharon L. Nordgren passed away on February 10th in Hanover, New Hampshire. She was 80 years old. Sharon was born October 21, 1943, in Chicago, IL to Neil and Adel Huseth. In 1952 the family moved from Chicago to St. Louis Park, MN where Neil worked for IBM in their Office Products Division. The first of three daughters, Sharon graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 1961. She played clarinet in the band, was a founding member of the school's golf team and active in the Campfire Girls. Sharon attended the University of Minnesota for three years and during that time worked in the Customer Service Department of Dayton's Department Store in Minneapolis. Having met at the University of Minnesota, Sharon and Richard Nordgren married on September 25th, 1965. In 1967 they moved from Chicago to Rochester, NY where Richard did his pediatric and neurology residency and fellowship. They moved to Hanover, NH in 1972. Soon after moving to Hanover, Sharon started a long career of public service. She was active in the League of Women Voters and Democratic politics in the 1970s. In the 1980s she was a member of the Hanover Board of Selectmen and in 1982 became the first "chairwoman" of that body. In her years as a selectwoman, Sharon forged strong relationships with leaders of the town, Dartmouth College and Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital. She was instrumental in key decisions in Hanover such as the move of the hospital to Rt. 120. When Sharon initially ran for the Board of Selectmen she was discouraged by some because "she was a woman" but those sentiments made her more determined. In 1992 she was awarded Hanover's "Citizen of the Year". Through her decades of community service Sharon served on the board of the Howe Library, the Montshire Museum of Science, the New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund, the League of Women's Voters, among others. In 1988 she was elected to the first of 18 terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. She was one of the longest serving member of this body and from 1998-2004 served as Deputy Democratic Leader. She was a long-standing member of the House Finance Committee, spending countless hours every two years working on the state budget. Sharon was known as a strong advocate for access to health care, reproductive rights and quality education for children. While she was a determined advocate and sometimes known as "feisty" she built lasting relationships with her colleagues and was a skilled legislator who could work "across the aisle" to get legislation passed. Sharon will also be remembered as a warm and committed friend to many. She always had time for her "cronies" and went out of her way to help her best friends, and those she barely knew. Over the years, a phone call from "Kiddo" could just be her checking in, or time to "get our act together" to get something done. She would end conversations by saying "keep in touch." and she meant it! She was also an extremely loving and committed mother. Sharon showered her son Rob, and daughter Krisy with love, support and encouragement. She was a fixture at their sporting events. Whether it was on the sideline of soccer games, the trails of cross-country ski races, or ringside at equestrian competitions, Sharon would be there, often with a video camera to catch the action! In her later years she loved watching her grandsons play a wide variety of sports. Sharon is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, Richard Nordgren and her two children, Krisy Nordgren Southall and Rob Nordgren, and their spouses John Southall and Julia Nordgren. She is also survived by her dear grandsons, Andrew, Benjamin and Soren, as well as two loving sisters, JoAnne Anderson and Linda Fish. There will be a celebration of Sharon's life on Sunday, July 21st at 1:00pm at Rollins Chapel in Hanover. A reception will follow at the Hanover Inn. Memorial donations can be made to The Montshire Museum of Science, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, or The Upper Valley Democrats.