Cheryl Faye De Waard, 61, passed away peacefully at home, with Chuck by her side, on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. She is now home with her Heavenly Father.
Cheryl (Vander Mey) De Waard was born on Oct. 12, 1956, in Bellingham to Herman and Frieda Vander Mey. She attended Sumas Christian School and in seventh grade won the state Achievement Day award for her piano solo. She went to Lynden Christian High School. After graduating from high school, she attended business school in Lynnwood.
Cheryl married the love of her life, Chuck De Waard, on Aug. 26, 1976. They were blessed with two daughters and one son.
Cheryl was a member of Lynden Covenant Grace Reformed Church (URC), where she also was the pianist for many years and led the Women’s Bible Study. She had a love for teaching and she home-schooled her children through high school and ran a home-school resource store for 16 years. She loved her time at home with her husband, children and grandchildren.
She also loved gardening, sewing, cooking and playing games with friends. She and Chuck had fun going to garage sales and antique hunting. Traveling was also a highlight in her life. She loved seeing the beauty of God’s creation around her. She was very involved in Pro-Life activities and she and Chuck enjoyed volunteering together at the Lynden Pioneer Museum. Some of her favorite things to do were to have tea parties with her grandchildren and make cookies with them.
Cheryl’s memory will live on with her loving husband of 41 years; her daughters Becky (Josh) Top with grandchildren Malachi and Annika, Cami (Tim) Welfing with grandchildren Mercedes, Dominic, Ellie, Dirk and another on the way, and son Brian (Kayla) De Waard with grandchildren Sophie and Nathaniel. She will be greatly missed by her sister Grace (Gary) Vander Yacht, brothers Harry (Sue) Vander Mey and Jim (Cheryl) Vander Mey and her brothers/sisters-in-law Stan (Harriet) De Waard, Joanne (John) Odens, Dale De Waard, Terry (Karen) De Waard, Sharon (Jim) Bouma, Joel (Ruth) De Waard; and many other loving relatives and friends.
Cheryl was predeceased by her parents, Herman and Frieda Vander Mey; in-laws Joe and Henrietta De Waard; brother and sister-in-law Sid and Greta Vander Mey; and her precious grandson, Javan Welfing.
For the memorial service date, place and time, please check Gillies Funeral Home website.
Memorials may be made in Cheryl’s name to two ministries that were dear to her heart: Whatcom County Pregnancy Center or Answers in Genesis.
