In loving memory of
Cheryl Maxine Roberts
September 7, 1947 - May 30, 2020
Cheryl Maxine (Mack) Roberts, EdD, 72, formerly of Las Cruces, NM, died peacefully at Chateau Bothell Landing in Bothell, WA on Saturday, May 30, 2020 after a year-long battle with metastatic breast cancer.
Cheryl was born in East Chicago, IN to Harold "Red" Mack & Audrey (Phillips) Mack on September 7, 1947. She married Randy Roberts on December 14, 1985 at Bethel United Methodist Church in Simpsonville, SC. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband.
Cheryl is survived by her children, Bobby (Rhonda) Parker of Peoria, IL and Kathy (Edmund) Rede of Monroe, WA; grandchildren Mackenzie Parker of Omaha, NE, Cecilia Parker of Peoria, IL, and Parker, Asher, Braxton & Nativa Rede of Monroe, WA. She is also survived by one brother, Greg (Lela) Mack of Las Cruces, NM, a niece and several nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Raised in Griffith, IN she graduated from Griffith High School in 1965 and went on to receive her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Ball State University in 1969. Cheryl furthered her education with both a master's degree and doctoral degree from Madison University. She loved being a teacher and was dedicated to her students throughout a 30+-year career in North Carolina, Louisiana, South Carolina and New Mexico, retiring in 2009.
Her greatest joy in life was being a grandma and an aunt. She loved each grandchild, niece and nephew with abundant love and any time spent with them were her happiest moments. Being able to spend her last year close to her four youngest grandchildren was a true blessing. Taking in a softball game, baseball game or gymnastics competition was a pleasure if one of her grandkids was competing. Even in the hot sun or crowded gym. Reading books, playing house or talking about Harry Potter or her love of dolphins were fun ways to pass the time together as well.
In retirement Cheryl wasted no time travelling the country and Europe. Always a student, she would visit historical sites along the way. She never knew a stranger and made even more new friends as part of the Ramin Karimloo Fan Club. They would travel together taking in shows, meeting Ramin, seeing sites and trying new restaurants. It was the time of her life. Cheryl was well-read and always had a book at her side. The genre didn't matter and it was nothing for her to read a book in just a couple of days, or less.
We will miss her laugh, her Cheryl looks and sighs, her intelligent thoughts, her wanting social justice for all, her always teaching a lesson and her love.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Chateau Bothell Landing and Seattle Cancer Care, especially Dr. Kevin Cheung, for their loving care of Cheryl this past year. Due to the current pandemic in our country, services will be held in Las Cruces, NM at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Teachers College Scholarships (Fund #8850) at Ball State University: Ball State University Foundation, 2800 W Bethel Ave., Muncie IN 47304. Please write Cheryl Roberts Memorial on the memo line of your check. Online donations can be made at https://connect.bsu.edu/TeachersCollege-Give.