Sherrilyn 'Sherry' Lee Vannaken, 77, passed away and went to be with God on Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023 in The Woodlands, Texas. She was a loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and friend.

Sherry was born in Cleveland, Ohio and moved to Florida as a teenager with her parents. She loved the sunny, warm weather and was always happy spending time on the water boating with her beloved Ron. She enjoyed watching the sunrise on Fort Lauderdale Beach, especially on Easter with her family. She moved to Texas later in life to be with family.

She was a realtor and retired from Broward County Public Schools as a computer analyst. She graduated from Broward Community College with an Associate Degree in Business Administration and Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor Degree in Computer Science. She paved a way for herself to live the life she desired during a time when doors weren't always open to women.

She is preceded in death by her parents Ray and Jean, her sister Darla, and her loving husband Ron. She is survived by her sister Debra, her brother-in-law Richard, her brother-in-law Carl, her sons John, Robert, Rodney and his wife Maricel, her daughter Sherrill, her grandchildren Gabriella, Cody, Toni Ann, Brianna, and her great grandchild Jaiden.

Sherry will be remembered by the love she had for her family and friends, her loving smile, kindness, and spunky spirit she brought into a room. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her. She was a Christian, loving and honoring God with the way she lived her life. She had a passion for driving fast, recently receiving a speeding ticket for going 104 miles mph. In her words, 'thank goodness it was just that because I was going 130.' Her CB handle was 'Speedy Mama'. She was even known to outrun the cops a time or two in her younger years. She played billiards with APA for years, up until the last year. She enjoyed shocking people by clearing the table. She loved horses, especially her beloved 'Happy' that she used to wildly run in Davie. She also enjoyed traveling the world with her family and friends.

The family will hold a private ceremony to celebrate her life and ask that in lieu of flowers, remember her by donating to MD Anderson Cancer Center.

https://www.mdanderson.org/