Şerife Welton, 56, passed away on February 13, 2026, after a yearlong battle with cancer. Diagnosed with stage IV stomach cancer, Şerife faced her illness with extraordinary courage, never losing her indomitable spirit, her deep love for those around her, or her genuine care for everyone who crossed her path.

Born in Kaş, Türkiye, to her parents, Sadık and Hasibe Ünal, Şerife grew up beside the Mediterranean Sea, where she developed a lifelong spiritual connection with nature. She left Kaş to study tourism in Ankara, but the sea soon called her home again, leading her to work in Antalya and later Marmaris. After a brief time in Istanbul, she embarked on her first great international adventure, working in Israel. At every step of her journey, Şerife formed deep and lasting friendships that she cherished throughout her life.

In 2001, weary of constant travel and work, Şerife returned to the Kaş region with a dream of settling down. She longed to own a traditional stone house with enough land to live a simple, grounded life close to nature. It was during this time that Chris entered her life. While he ultimately fulfilled her dream of a home in a mountain village, life together brought further adventures rather than immediate stillness. Following Chris’s career, they lived in California, South Africa, London, Kazakhstan, and China before eventually settling in Salt Lake City. Along this remarkable journey, their son, Teo, was born—completing what became a truly global family.

Each culture Şerife experienced shaped her character and deepened her desire to help others. In California, she learned yoga and began teaching. In Beijing, she studied and practiced acupuncture. Every skill she gained and every experience she embraced was shared generously, always with the intention of healing, teaching, and supporting those around her. Those who knew Şerife well will remember her unwavering drive to pass on knowledge and kindness wherever she went.

Şerife will be remembered for the deep and enduring friendships she formed across the world, but above all for her boundless love for her family. She devoted herself wholeheartedly to raising her son, Teo, into adulthood and was everything to her parents and her husband, Chris. Her love, strength, and compassion will continue to live on through them and through all whose lives she touched.

A short service and Celebration of Life will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, February 20, at City View Mortuary, 1001 E 11th Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT 84103.

For those unable to attend in person, the service will be livestreamed online here for friends and family around the world.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Şerife’s name to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, whose care and compassion meant so much during her fight: Huntsmancancer.org