Memorial service January 21 for Cheryl Colehour, 1966-2011

The family of West Seattleite Cheryl Colehour, who died a week ago at just 45, shares this remembrance, and news of her memorial service:

On November 30, 2011, West Seattle and the rest of the world lost Cheryl Colehour. She fought hard for the preceding 13 months against breast cancer, which ultimately metastasized to her liver.

Cheryl was a beautiful, talented, loving, fierce woman. Her strength and grace were exceeded only by her loving nature.

Cheryl was born and raised in Bellevue, attended college at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, and spent her adult years in Seattle – Capitol Hill, Beacon Hill, and ultimately in West Seattle for the last 12 years. Cheryl studied film and video in college and parlayed those skills into a career as an Instructional Designer. She was a skilled fiber artist as well, often gifting friends and family with her exquisite knitting and sewing projects.

Cheryl is survived by her husband Tom Humphreys and their two children, Clara Humphreys (10) and August Humphreys (3); her father and stepmother, Jeff and Beth Colehour; her sister, Julie Colehour (Mitchell), husband Don and children Jessica and Jeremy; her sister, Janelle Urfer, husband Scott and children Owen and Emma. She is preceded in death by her mother Vernal Colehour (Harkness).

Cheryl was unfortunate to have inherited the BRCA1 gene mutation, which creates an astronomical risk for cancer of the breast and ovaries. Her mother and grandmother succumbed to these cancers as well. Her aunt is a breast-cancer survivor. Cheryl was always willing to participate in whatever studies she could to increase medical understanding of these conditions. In that spirit, if you are moved to contribute in her memory, please consider the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance or The University of Washington Medical Center or Gilda’s Club Seattle.

A memorial will be held for Cheryl on January 21st, 2012, at 1:00 pm, Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 7141 California Ave SW. We will re-announce the memorial at a closer date as well.

Cheryl’s husband Tom also shares the link for this online memorial, which includes a guestbook.

10 Replies to "Memorial service January 21 for Cheryl Colehour, 1966-2011"

  • Gyngersnap December 7, 2011 (10:29 am)

    I am honored to have known Cheryl, and I mourn her deeply. My heart breaks for her family, and her community has vowed to be with them as they carry on without her loving presence.

  • Amie December 7, 2011 (11:27 am)

    My heart breaks for this family. My daughter attend’s school with August. Please let us know if there is anything we can do during this time.
    Amie

  • Alki Resident December 7, 2011 (1:04 pm)

    Is there anything we can go as a community for the husband and kids who lost mommy right before Christmas,please?

  • Rev. Peg Morgan December 7, 2011 (2:07 pm)

    In response to how to help with Christmas coming, To answer “Alki Resident”, Tom, Cheryl’s husband, feels he has Christmas covered. If anyone would like to help the family with expenses, we have set up a fund for the family, which will be given to Tom after the memorial service. You can make out a check to Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation 7141 California Avenue SW Seattle WA 98136. Please note Colehour Family Fund in the notation line.
    For more information you can call me at 206 909-2856 Rev. Peg Morgan

  • Sharon December 7, 2011 (4:44 pm)

    The Colehour-Humphreys family are in my thoughts and prayers. I am completely heart broken for them. I had to pleasure of seeing Cheryl and her beautiful family every Friday night at the Luna Park Cafe. She was an interesting woman, she made an impression and opened my mind even in the briefest of conversations. Unbeknownst, she held a mirror in front of me, reminding me to be a good person and strive to live close to my values, as she did hers. She was humble and down to earth. Rest in Peace Cheryl.

  • add December 7, 2011 (7:27 pm)

    My deepest and heartfelt condolences to Cheryl’s family. I don’t know them personally but my own sister also passed away due to breast cancer at the young age of 42, leaving behind two small children. It is a loss that is felt in many ripple effects. I loved the description of Cheryl as “beautiful, talented, loving and fierce” because that was my sister, too. Neither of them will ever be forgotten by those whose lives they touched – and even more so, those lives will be enriched. Peace to the Colehour-Humphreys families.

  • PDH December 7, 2011 (8:05 pm)

    Peace and blessings to her family and friends. Do not know them personally but we are all connected and children losing their young, beautiful mother is so painful.

  • alkidancer December 8, 2011 (4:00 pm)

    My thoughts and prayers are also with this family during such a heartbreaking time. I’ve never met Cheryl but I’m sure we would have had lively discussion as I too carry brac 1 mutation and am in “experimental” treatment at scca after my mother went the conventional route and lost her battle to breast cancer.
    A candle is lit in our home today for you Cheryl.

  • C. Fresia December 16, 2011 (7:51 am)

    Cheryl was a member of an online new mom’s sewing group, starting before Clara was born, so I feel as if I’ve known her for years. Yet I met her in person only once, years ago. I was so pleased to spend time with her then, and get to know a little better this intelligent, compassionate, funny, talented, loving person. Her personal strength was obvious even then. Her relationship with the then 3-year-old Clara (so bright! so sweet!) was beautiful and inspiring. My thoughts are with the whole family.

  • Cathy Doser December 22, 2011 (3:18 am)

    I had the honor of knowing Cheryl for only a few months, as she attended a Gilda’s Club Cancer Survivor Support Group. She was always a wonderful woman, wife, and mother, in my view of her, and brought such intelligence to our group. It was my pleasure in getting to know her, and I feel for her husband and children. She was such a devoted mother, and had thought that she was going to have more time with her family, which is what she had been told. That is such a travesty, because she was so devoted to them.
    Her husband Tom came to our group, and was so gracious in talking with us about her. Cancer is such a horrible disease, as I’ve seen and experienced personally. It was so unfair in taking her from all of us, and I’m so sad. But, as I said, I am so honored in having known Cheryl. She was a helluva woman!

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