Sharon Larson Best

Sharon Larson Best (70) of Madison, WI passed away March 4, 2025 surrounded by loved ones after a courageous fight against cancer. Born June 22, 1954 in Sioux Falls, SD, Sharon and her family lived throughout the Midwest before settling in Milwaukee, WI. In 1966, Sharon and her family moved to Madison, where she remained and built her adult life.

Sharon earned her Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and her Master’s degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Wisconsin before beginning a long and rewarding career as a speech-language pathologist. Over the course of almost 35 years, Sharon treated patients recovering from strokes, brain injuries, and other trauma. She closed out her career with nine years of service at the University of Wisconsin Hospital. Sharon found this position particularly meaningful, as she worked with a close-knit team of talented colleagues on a broad range of cases. With her compassion and empathy, along with decades of experience, Sharon made a lasting difference in the lives of her patients and her colleagues alike.

While studying at the University of Wisconsin, Sharon met her husband, Fred. They married December 2, 1978 and went on to have two children. Sharon was a loving wife and mother, never missing a moment, big or small, in her children’s lives.

Sharon loved spending time in nature and she took full advantage of Madison’s network of trails. She could be found hiking at Picnic Point and Frautschi Point multiple times per week. Sharon also had a lifelong passion for learning, evidenced by her love of books, studying new languages, and trying new recipes. She spent several semesters as a senior auditor at the University of Wisconsin taking classes in history and political science, which she continued even while receiving 12 months of chemotherapy treatments. Neither her cancer diagnosis nor her treatments stood in the way of Sharon pursuing the things she loved.

Sharon is survived by her husband of 46 years, Fred, children Peter and Alison (Trey), Granddaughter Lily, and siblings David (Lynne), Steve (Elaine), Diane (Dean), Sandra (Nick), and Janet. She is preceded in death by her mother, Ruth, and her father, Clayton.

Sharon’s family would like to express their gratitude for the excellent and compassionate care she received from Dr. Nataliya Uboha and her team at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center.

A celebration of life to honor Sharon will be held this summer. Details of the date and location are forthcoming.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Carbone Cancer Center Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Greatest Need Fund at https://secure.supportuw.org/give/?custom=med04&group=carbone.

Please share your memories of Sharon by posting in her Guestbook.

Cress Funeral Services

3610 Speedway Road, Madison

(608) 238-3434