Sharon Knast Smith

Sharon Knast Smith passed away peacefully on December 8, 2025, surrounded by the family she loved with her whole heart. Born and raised in Riverside, New Jersey, Sharon grew up with a strong sense of community and a fierce commitment to helping others. She began her career on the Delran Police Force before later following her heart west to Colorado, where her lifelong love of horses and the outdoors continued to grow and shape the rest of her life.

In her early years in Colorado, Sharon managed a security business and built a life rooted in independence, resilience, and love for the mountains. She met her husband, Marty Smith, and together they raised two daughters, Kelsey Thomsen and Kaitlyn Hamrick. Though Sharon and Marty later went their separate ways, they remained close throughout their lives, united by the love of their family.

Sharon dedicated herself fully to motherhood. She was deeply involved in her daughters’ lives, serving as a Girl Scout troop leader for more than a decade and showing up for every milestone. She introduced her daughters to the world of horses, a passion the three of them shared wholeheartedly. Some of their most cherished memories are of spending evenings and weekends riding together through the Colorado mountains, soaking in the quiet beauty of the place they called home.

Her commitment to service extended far beyond her family. Sharon spent more than six years overseeing religious education at two local Catholic churches, earning the fond and lasting nickname of “Conifer Church Lady.” She then devoted herself to nonprofit work across the mountain community, serving as the executive director of a local mountain community support organization.

Sharon later stepped into what became the most meaningful and fulfilling role of her entire career. As the Executive Director of The Right Step, a therapeutic riding center, she found a place where every part of who she was came together. Her love for horses, her deep compassion for individuals with disabilities, and her belief in the power of connection and healing all thrived in this work. The Right Step was more than a job to her. It was where her heart felt most at home and where she poured every ounce of herself into creating a welcoming, life changing community.

Sharon was preceded in death by her parents, Virginia and Joseph Knast, her siblings, Joseph Knast and JoAnn Kirkbride, and her former husband and enduring friend, Marty Smith.

She is survived by her daughters, Kelsey Thomsen and her husband Kris, and Kaitlyn Hamrick and her wife Ginger, as well as her beloved grandchildren, Madilyn, Liam, and Nathan, who knew her as their Nana. She is also survived by her brother in law, Bruce Kirkbride, and her sister in law, Kellie Scherrer and her husband Don. Her family circle also includes her nephews Johnny and David, her niece Ginger, her great nephews Nathan, Alex, and Jonah, and her great niece Geo, all of whom were proud to call her their aunt.

Sharon also leaves the ranch she poured her heart into, where she shared daily life with her cousin, Dawn Bigwood, whose support and companionship shaped so many of her days, along with the animals who filled her life with purpose and joy, including her horses, goats, sheep, dogs, and cats.

A service honoring Sharon’s life will be held at Horan and McConaty in Lakewood, Colorado on Tuesday, December 16th at 10:00 AM, followed by a reception.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The Right Step in Sharon’s honor.

Sharon lived her life with grit, humor, loyalty, and a heart that never stopped giving. She was a mother, Nana, cousin, aunt, friend, mentor, and a steadfast advocate for those in need. Her legacy lives on in the communities she strengthened, the countless people she supported, and the family she loved beyond measure. Those who loved her take comfort in picturing her reunited with the people she missed and the horses she adored, moving with the joy and freedom she always found in the saddle.

Please share memories and condolences with Sharon's family by signing the guestbook.