Sharon Kaye Bahr December 3, 1953 – June 7, 2026

Sharon Kaye Bahr passed away Sunday, June 7, 2026, after a brief illness, surrounded by the love she spent a lifetime giving away.

Mass of Christian Burial is 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 12, 2026 at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church. Visitation is Thursday 4-7:00 p.m., followed by a 7:00 p.m. Vigil service, all occurring at the Church.

Memorials are suggested to the family for future designation.

She was born Sharon Kaye Gerber on December 3, 1953, in Wichita, Kansas, to Air Force Captain Frederick Gerber and his wife Virginia — both Columbus natives who carried a little piece of Nebraska wherever the service sent them and the family came back home to Columbus in 1962. She attended St. Bonaventure Grade School and graduated from Scotus Central Catholic High School in 1972. She went on to study criminal justice at the UNL and UNK, a choice that revealed something essential about who she was: someone who cared about people, about fairness, and about doing things right.

On August 19, 1976, she married Charles Bahr in Columbus, beginning a partnership that would define her life. Together they built a family — welcoming sons Nathan, Anthony, and Matthew.

Sharon's professional life reflected the same instinct for caring for others. She ran her own daycare for years, because her love of children wasn't just something she felt — it was something she acted on, daily. She later served as a CASA director, advocating for children who needed someone in their corner. She also worked as a Quality Control Specialist at Becton Dickinson, and most recently held a position with Platte County.

But the truest version of Sharon showed up in her own backyard. She kept bees with her husband. She grew beautiful gardens and flowers. She cooked food that made people feel cared for. She planned the barbecues and the holiday dinners and the Christmas shopping trips with a kind of joyful determination — not because she had to, but because gathering people together was one of her great loves.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Frederick and Virginia Gerber, and her older sister, Charlene Helgoth.

She is survived by her husband, Charles Bahr; sons Nathan (Catherine), Tony (Jenny), and Matt (Staci); grandchildren Brendan, Brooke, Lily and Cooper; sister Barbara Gerber; brother Fred (Bonnie) Gerber; brother-in-law Roger Helgoth and many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Sharon was cherished by friends, neighbors, and coworkers who knew her warmth firsthand. She was a devoted wife, loving mother, proud grandmother, and loyal sister and aunt. The people who loved her are many. The hole she leaves is real and deep.