Cheryl has provided encouragement and support to so many people in our church over the 17 years she’s been our parish nurse. This month she moves to Alaska to be near daughter, Anna, and her family. We are so grateful for her faithful service and will miss her greatly. We know God will be at her side bringing her many blessings and much happiness throughout this new adventure.
Cheryl has touched so many lives here at RB Community. Here are just a few tributes:
from Pastor Mofid Wasef
The body of Christ is full of members from every nation, People, trip and tongue. They reflect Christ in their lives. Some special members of Christ‘s body speak, act, feel, love and care like Jesus. God blessed our beloved RBCPC and the community with a unique child of God, a blessed member in Christ’s body. Cheryl is truly Christ-like. Every person that got in touch with Cheryl saw Christ in her. We praise the Lord for Cheryl’s life and ministry. Cheryl will be greatly missed. I had the honor to co- serve the Lord with Cheryl, she is a blessing. I pray may the Lord bless Cheryl, bless her family and bless her future ministry.
from Leah Brown, RN
Cheryl and I were there at the beginning of the Parish Nurse program, and it has become such a part of my life and the church’s life that I can hardly remember how and when it got started. It has been fun to think about the early days when we gathered to discuss how nurses in church communities could make a positive impact and how we could do that at RB Community. Initially, it was the vision of an Associate Pastor and his wife (a nurse) to coordinate the program and define the scope of our role – visiting people to assess a living situation when family was far away, taking blood pressures on the church patio and at Prime Time, answering questions about a new diagnosis or new medication, and giving flu shots in the fall. We started small but grew steadily.
Cheryl always excelled at listening to concerns, solving complex problems, and just making people feel better with her calm and thoughtful manner. It soon became apparent that Parish Nurses had a big role to play in the life and health of our congregation. The Deacons assumed responsibility for financially supporting a paid coordinator, and Cheryl stepped up and did the job expertly. Soon, additional responsibilities and programs were developed and Cheryl was assisting many members of the congregation and their families find resources in the community, obtain placement in assisted living, and coordinating care for at risk individuals. Through it all, Cheryl kept the church informed of health topics providing information to church groups such as Prime Time and the Deacons. What an amazing legacy Cheryl leaves at RBCPC!
from Shirley Hughes
When you are stressed or having a bad day, nothing is better than to spend time with a person who is calming to be around; this certainly describes Cheryl. When you are with her, it's almost impossible not to feel more relaxed. She listens to you, makes you feel heard, and you leave the experience feeling a little bit lighter after seeing her; she is the calm in the middle of a storm. Cheryl has such a compassionate nature and an interest in helping others. I will miss her greatly, but I wish her lifelong joy and happiness.
from Linda Hensley, RN
I asked Cheryl where she was going to spend the Thanksgiving holiday one year, thinking if she was going to celebrate alone I would ask her to join my family. She said she was going to San Jose to be with her brother. As the conversation went on we came to the knowledge that we went to the same high school at the same time. I was 2 years older than her and while we did not travel in the same circles there were several people that we both had known. My younger sister Jennifer remembers Cheryl by her name. Anyway it has been nice to have this shared history that goes waaaay back. I will miss Cheryl! I like the parish nurse ministries, meetings and the familiarity of everyone there. I don't believe in coincidences and do believe that God got Cheryl and I together in San Diego as parish nurses, I am not exactly sure why but that's ok. I sincerely wish her the best in this new time of her life. I'm not sure I like the term re-inventing yourself but rather taking on new adventures and seeing what happens.
from Lynn Graupmann
People are always surprised to hear that we have a parish nurse. RB Community has been so fortunate! For two decades I have known Cheryl, and I have seen her commitment and caring in so many ways. She is a fountain of information. However, more than this she has helped so many families living far from their relatives who need assistance as well as those in our congregation. Her care and concern truly exemplify Christ’s love for others. Her personal commitment has gone above and beyond the requirements of a job. She always shares her knowledge; if she doesn’t know about a particular issue (which is rare), she will research it. She has done so much for so long and has preferred to be behind the scenes. Thank you, Cheryl, for giving your love, talents, and your time. You will be so missed. Blessings to you as you start this new chapter of your life. Have fun!
from Shell Cowper-Smith
What an incredible blessing to work alongside Cheryl these past years in Pastoral Care ministry. When I think of Cheryl the word "grace" comes to mind. Grace-full and Grace-filled. Her generous and caring heart is inspiring and I know she will continue to bless everyone she meets. She cares about every person; body, soul and spirit. I enjoyed laughing, praying and even shedding a few tears together. Cheryl, you are a treasured friend and I am thankful that RB Community provided a place to work together and we continue to pray for you and your family as this next adventure begins.
from Marilyn Glover, RN
Cheryl and I have job shared as parish nurse since July 2005. With God’s guidance we worked side by side, sharing the various tasks to comfort and support members of our congregation. Cheryl was full of curiosity, did much research and as a result was a wealth of information. She is thoughtful, a great listener and full of compassion. We sometimes mentioned how opposite we were from each other - - in every single way. Maybe that’s why we were such a good team. We complemented each other. Her strengths were not mine. My strengths were not hers. But together we were an extremely effective, faithful team. I don’t think anyone will miss Cheryl as much as I will. When obstacles came to our ministry, she mentioned that God always provided what we needed. And now I pray that God continues to provide for this parish nurse ministry as she departs. She is deserving of much happiness and being with those sweet grandchildren, Anna and Justin is the truest path in that direction.
God Bless you always, Cheryl