Cheryl (Sherry) Dawn MCGARRIGLE

Cheryl (Sherry) Dawn McGarrigle, aged 78, of Nanaimo, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 29, 2024, following a brief illness. Predeceased by her parents, Tommy and Erma McGarrigle, her cousin Linda Speedie and baby cousin Lisa, Sherry is survived by her cousins Rick (Joyce) and Troy (Ramon) Speedie, Bev (Brian) Hawkins and family, Pat (Gene) Schwarz and family, Kim (Jeff) Hale and family, Kelley (Will) Stevenson and family, Jim Widmark, Eric Widmark, and Ron McGarrigle, as well as a number of close friends, many of whom considered Sherry part of their extended families.

Born in Vancouver, BC in April 1945, Sherry grew up in Port Alberni, where, along with her parents and her cousin Linda, she enjoyed summers at the family cabin on Sproat Lake. Returning to the mainland to attend the University of British Columbia, Sherry graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history (a lifelong passion) in 1968, and embarked on a career in financial management, before moving to Victoria where she lived for many years. It was in Victoria that Sherry took a different career path, branching into insurance and eventually the travel industry, a job she enjoyed for the opportunity it gave her to travel, meet people, and indulge her passion for learning about the world.

In 2013, Sherry moved to Nanaimo, where she had several longtime friends, and where she found a home and a community among her wonderful neighbours (with whom she enjoyed daily walks with ‘The Pack’) as well as the members of her book clubs. Sherry had and loved a number of pets over the years, including Shakespeare, Sappho, Misty, and most recently, Moka, her beloved little rescue dog. Sherry enjoyed a busy social life and was involved in a number of activities and organizations that were close to her heart. She also enjoyed travelling. Camping trips down the coast to Southern California with a close friend from her schooldays was a highlight, along with trips abroad with family and friends.

Sherry’s ‘happy place’ was Sproat Lake, where she spent countless days swimming, water-skiing, and spending time with family and friends on the dock. She was very close to her cousins Rick and Troy and their partners; in recent years weekends at McNab Creek with Troy and Ramon were a special treat, as was time spent with Rick and Joyce at her home in Nanaimo. Sherry’s interests were wide-ranging, from sports (gained from watching hockey with her dad as a child) to food (both cooking and eating!), and nature (Departure Bay beach and the Colliery Dam in Nanaimo were favourite spots for walks and swims). Sherry’s love of knowledge (and ability to retain information!) was well-known; she played (and often won!) an online general knowledge quiz with a friend every morning for a number of years.

Sherry’s family and friends would like to extend their gratitude to the nurses in the Palliative Care Unit at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for their kind and gentle care, as well as to Dr K McIlwaine and Dr K King for their support.

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