SHARON L. CARTER (nee Cambe), age 74, of Portage, passed away Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at St. Mary Medical Center. She was born in Valparaiso on June 11, 1948 to the late Alvin and Bonnie Cambe. Sharon lived in Gary, Lake Station, Winamac and Portage.

Sharon was a lifelong Christian and loved the Lord and her Church family dearly. She made meals and delivered to "her people" and loved volunteering wherever she saw a need that she could fill.

While raising her family, she held many positions including working retail, in restaurants and even driving a school bus, while she earned an associates degree at Ivy Tech.  She worked for many years as a lab tech at Powder Tech.

She was absolutely dedicated to her large, extended family and loved family gatherings with everyone there.  She was a terrific cook and found joy in making everyone feel loved. She was always delighted to hear what we were doing and visiting or going out with us on a spur of the moment adventure.  Her stories were always filled with laughter.

Sharon overcame each new challenge in her life, but retained the resiliency to keep bouncing back. She beat cancer, yet never lost sight of God's purpose and kept the ability to have a lighthearted, joyful and thankful attitude towards life.  She loved people deeply and was loved just as deeply in return by everyone blessed to know her.

Sharon has touched each of us in beautiful ways we will never forget and we will carry her with us always in love and smile. We are grateful for her presence in our lives and will miss her dearly.

Sharon is survived by 4 of her 5 children, daughters, Sherri (Elwood) Lauderback, Lori (Tom) Cervantes, Daniele (Brian) Cummins, and a son, Allen (Marsha) Meade; and also a daughter of the heart, her niece, Shana Stacey;  24 grandchildren, Cassie (Brian), Steven, Aleece (Tony), JJ (Amanda), Hollie (Ivan), Angelita, Antonio, Tori (Conrad), Michael, Matthew, Marshall, Angel, Abby, Mason, Mitchell, Payton (Eric), Kelly (Jorge), Angela, Joshua, Beth, Andrew, Austin, Courtney (Jim), Becca (Thomas);  24 great grandchildren, Anthony (Bianca), Bryce, Delilah, Lillian, Brooklynn, Xavier, Oliver, Mercedes, Alejandra, Nathaniel, Isabel, Glorianna, Kayden, Oliver, Keanu, Kingsley, Mya, Dominic, Cannon, Lulu, Jacob, Kinsley, Jayden, Aiden and 1 great great grandchild, Kehlani; also, many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Alvin & Bonnie Cambe; and her daughter, Bonnie Sue Meade.

Friends and Family are invited to a Celebration of Life Memorial Service which will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2023, 11:00 am at South Haven Christian Church, 780 Juniper Rd., Valparaiso, Indiana. A private luncheon for family will follow immediately after at 12:00pm.

Cremation arrangements entrusted to Rees Funeral Home, Olson Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Sharon's name to her church, South Haven Christian Church.