SHARON HAYDEN KOLB

Sharon Hayden Kolb rode a private jet to heaven on August 3, 2022, where she is no doubt, on a warm sandy beach, in a bikini, margarita in hand, and looking tan and incredibly gorgeous. She was 52 years young. For the last two and a half years, with her loving husband and two boys by her side, she battled stage 4 colon cancer. She was incredibly courageous and fought this disease every day since with the most strength, dignity, and grace, and an amazing determination to live. She absolutely loved life and wanted desperately to live and see her boys graduate from college and enjoy this new phase of life with her husband. Her will to live gave us two and a half years more years with her where she spent every minute with her family and close friends living life to the fullest. She never complained or even slowed down until she physically had to this past year. She has been an absolute inspiration to hundreds that are fighting this horrific disease and have followed her journey that she shared so intimately with her hundreds of social media friends. Sharon was and will always be “Larger than Life”. She was incredibly classy, elegant, gorgeous and had an even more beautiful soul that was contagious to everyone she met.

Born in Bozeman, MT on February 24, 1970, Sharon began life with her parents in Billings, MT. She attended Burlington Elementary and Will James Junior High where she participated in basketball, ran track & dance team. She graduated from Billings West High School in 1988, where she excelled in school. She took pride in being a majorette for all 3 years, modeled, and made close friendships that would last a lifetime. She went to college at ASU her freshman year and transferred to MSU Bozeman where she attended school for her sophomore and junior year always making the most of life. She moved to Missoula, started working as an assistant for a realtor and eventually got her real estate license. It was there she met the love of her life Larry J. Kolb and was immediately smitten.

Larry and Sharon were married on August 22, 1998, at Flathead Lake Lodge sparking her love for Flathead Lake. Her love of the lake grew over the years as they spent every summer renting cabins on the lake until they eventually built an amazing lake house on Indian Bay, which became her ultimate “Happy Place”. Friends and family were always welcome there. There was no limit to the number of people that Sharon would feed and let stay with them at their Flathead Lake home. She was the most welcoming and generous person, and everyone felt at home with them. A typical lake weekend was a house filled with friends of her boys that all called her “my second mom”.

Sharon adored their two boys, Trey (born March 2000) and Hayden (born July 2002) and loved watching them both play varsity basketball for Sentinel High School. Sharon, in classic “Sharon Style”, became the biggest parent supporter of their basketball teams. She did incredible traveling bags for all the players, created color brochures, produced posters of the team to display, created fat heads for the fans, and promoted incredible support for Sentinel Basketball games and divisional/state tournaments.

Sharon’s love for her husband was something to admire. She recently honored him for how hard he fought for her and provided every means to world-class medical doctors and treatments to fight her cancer. Larry’s success in his business along with his close business partner/friend, Dr. Naji Abumrad, gave her access to medical care not available to most people. Naji walked through this journey with them every step of the way and even accompanied them to Wiesbaden, Germany, where Sharon ended her fight by trying a new radiation treatment. Naji, was instrumental in helping Sharon to battle cancer ultimately giving her more time with her family and friends and we are forever grateful.

Sharon had a contagious fun spirit and the biggest heart of anyone. She was the heart of our whole family. She loved having fun and lived life to plan the next big party. She made a choice every day to have fun and be happy, a legacy that we will strive to honor and will never forget. She loved getting together with friends and family, she adored her nieces and nephews and their children who named her “Shantie”. Her favorite thing was to lay in the hot sun in a bikini on a beach or the shores of Flathead Lake with a cocktail. An upcoming trip she planned is a vacation to Grand Cayman with our whole family this Christmas. We will sadly have to enjoy this trip without Sharon but will honor her by living by her example to make the most of the time we have together. Her influence will live on through all of us as we have been forever changed by her.

Sharon was preceded in death by her mother, Joan Lucich Hayden (May 2014). She is survived by her father Craig Hayden (Shirley), her husband Larry J, and their sons, Trey and Hayden, Larry’s daughter, Johnna Comfort (Bryce, son Peter), Larry’s parents Judy and Larry R. Kolb, Larry’s siblings Debby Mircheff (Darryl) and Kathy Cotner (David) and Nieces and nephews: Brian Mircheff (Haley, daughter Hendri Anne), Jeffrey Mircheff, and Daniel Mircheff, Jessica Ruehs (Chad, son Noah, daughter Charlotte) Kevin Cotner (Katie, sons Christian and Cameron), Jonathan Doubleday, Katelyn Ridgway (Dylan, daughter Mia), Caroline Cotner, Special Uncle: Marko Lucich and Special Aunts: Linda Larson (Bill), Rosalie Butorovich, and numerous other aunts and uncles and cousins.

Our family wishes to extend our heartfelt thanks to the many families and friends for the outpouring of love we have received in the last several weeks. In lieu of flowers, please donate to

The Sharon Hayden Kolb Foundation –enabling those battling colon cancer to get access to world-class medical care/treatments.

Drop off at any Stockmans bank location or mail to:

The Sharon Hayden Kolb Foundation

PO BOX 7789

Missoula, MT. 59802

A Celebration of Sharon’s Life is planned September 17th, at the family’s ranch in Lolo. Please go to https://www.mykeeper.com/event/a-white-celebration-of-life-for-sharon-hayden-kolb/

details and to RSVP for this event.

Wickedly smart, profoundly technical, breathtakingly beautiful, and the life of every party… Gus, you will be sorely missed by everyone who knew and loved you. “Cheers to you, Sharon… Until we meet again.”