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Sharon Dee Pfeil West, age 84, passed away peacefully at home on December 6, 2023. Sharon was born on July 17, 1939 in Los Angeles, California, the second child of the late Osborn Albert "Steve" Pfeil (1912 – 1996) of Worthington, Minnesota and Joyce Arma Taggert Pfeil (1913 – 1990) of Chatsworth, Iowa. Steve and Joyce married in California in 1936, and lived in Glendale, returning to Owatonna in the early 1940s where Steve operated a retail business, Pfeil's Cedar Street Variety Store.

After graduating from Owatonna High School, Sharon attended Hamline University and the Minnesota School of Business. While living in St. Paul she met the love of her life: Harvey Wheldon West, Jr. (1935 – 2008). They were married in Owatonna on September 6, 1959, and lived in St. Paul until they moved to Owatonna in 1961 when Harvey accepted a job with the Owatonna Tool Company.

Sharon worked as the Human Resources Manager for Truth Hardware for many years and retired in 2000. She began working for the Owatonna Chamber of Commerce and Tourism in 2002, taking a year off between 2007 and 2008 to care for Harvey, and officially retired in 2012. She continued to serve as a Chamber Ambassador and as a volunteer until her passing.

Sharon was a passionate and dedicated volunteer at the Steele County Historical Society and was a trustee of the Owatonna Foundation. She also served, or was a part of, many organizations, among them: the United Way of Steele County, the Civil Service Commission, the Airport Commission, the Hospice House, Nortonna Lodge, and the Dam Preservation Corporation. She was Co-Chair for the Owatonna Sesquicentennial Committee and was instrumental in helping rebuild the Central Park Bandshell in Central Park and cataloging Owatonna's history in the Sesquicentennial History Book.

The Owatonna Foundation recognized the philanthropic commitment of Harvey and Sharon, both financially and in spirit, with the 2022 Spirit of the Community Award, noting they had "unwavering enthusiasm, and passion for making a difference" in Owatonna.

Sharon had many "firsts" in her life. She was the first female Board Chair for the Owatonna Chamber and the first female Rotary President in Owatonna. She was recognized with the Woman of the Year award, and later with the Pioneer Woman Award from the Owatonna Business and Professional Women's organization.

Sharon and Harvey shared a lifelong passion for both history and auto racing. While Harvey raced and drove, Sharon would serve as his pit crew. She remained an active volunteer for the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) doing registration at races across the Midwest. They were life members of Owatonna Elks Lodge #1395. Harvey and Sharon also enjoyed flying model planes with Owatonna R/C Modelers. The two traveled all over the world, which Sharon continued to do after Harvey's passing.

Sharon is survived by her sister-in-law, Gayle Pfeil of Chandler Arizona, and niece Piper Pfeil of Payson, AZ. She was preceded in death by her husband Harvey, her parents, her brother Terry Pfeil of Chandler, Arizona, and her niece Taylor Pfeil.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, January 11, 2024 at Michaelson Funeral Home in Owatonna followed by a Reception at the Elks Lodge in Owatonna from 2:30 - 4:30 PM.

A private interment will be at Acacia Park Cemetery in Mendota at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Steele County Historical Society, Owatonna Hospice or the donor's choice.