Sharon Elaine Shuteran ’74
Sharon Elaine Shuteran ’74, May 5, 2012, on a hike in Baja California, Mexico, from a heart attack. Sharon attended Reed for two years before transferring to the University of Denver, where she earned a BA and a JD. She began her legal career as a VISTA attorney in Denver; her final position was judge for the San Miguel County Court. In 1979, she moved to Telluride, where she owned and operated the Excelsior Café with her spouse, Peter Muckerman. For 14 years, she did the baking for the café in the morning before going to court. Sharon and Peter had one son, Eliot; they later divorced. Sharon was known outside the courtroom for her tireless work as a volunteer for nonprofits and local festivals, for her work with a medical team in Bhutan, for hosting international students, and for organizing a charter school in Telluride. In addition, she taught conflict resolution workshops. Colleagues remember her as an unfailingly fair judge: she did not move people through the court system, but was attentive to details and committed to finding creative sentencing solutions for every defendant. Friends remember her as compassionate, kind, and generous. “Sharon’s ego was not part of any of her behavior or activities,” said one friend. “It was not in need of reinforcement. Her need was to be of help to others in the world.” Survivors include her son.
Appeared in Reed magazine: March 2013
The Lives they Led
Physicist, Professor, and Researcher
Never a Follower, Always Charted His Own Path
Builder, Uniter, Mentor
Mother, Baker, Musician
Director of Private Music Instruction at Reed [1988–2010]
Professor of English at Reed [English 1973–78]
Cherished Friend, Daughter, Sister, Cousin, and Niece
French Teacher and Docent
Well-Traveled Economist
Visionary Drummer, Advocate for Tribal Fisheries, and Recognized Authority on Bigfoot
Physician, Neurologist, Teacher, and Advocate
Composer, Arts Administrator, Archivist, and Historian
Award-Winning Musician, Played With Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, and Woody Shaw
Nurturer of Communities
Educator and Journalist
Professor at Dartmouth College and the University of Toronto
Pioneering Cardiologist, Inventor, and Entrepreneur
Beloved English and Piano Teacher
Transcending the Script
Maven of Orchestration
Documenting Justice and Injustice Alike
Acclaimed Blues Guitar and Piano Player
Committed Musician and Teacher
Loved Working at the Bilingual Crossroads in Technology and Publishing
Leading Economist and Respected Expert on Finance
Pioneer in the Field of Alternative Somatic Therapies
Senior News Producer at Reuters
Advocate For Collaboration, Team Building, and Personal Connection
Immigration Law Attorney
Public Health Lecturer
Big Brain, Big Heart, a Lifetime of Learning
Devoted Her Life to Education and Music
Never a Follower, Always Charted His Own Path
Avid Hiker and Chemist
Accountant and Aquatic Traveler
Discoverer of Radiopolarography and Nobel Prize Winner
Poet of the Page and the Skies
Actress and Humanist
Pioneer of Law Technology
Playwright and Provocateur
Scholar of Chinese Culture and Language
Insightful Critic and Dedicated Poet
Venerated Long-Distance Runner
Master of the Ancient Art of Japanese Carpentry
Longtime Programmer and Adventurous Explorer
Activist and Mystery Enthusiast
Advocate for Trauma Survivors
Acclaimed Anthropologist
Pioneering Physicist
Beloved Husband, Devoted Father, Treasured Grandfather, and Venerated Professor
Broadcaster and Outdoorsman
