Family and friends are remembering Greg Cherin and sharing this with his community:

Gregory Arnoldo Cherin was born in Renton on November 7, 1958. He died on June 6, 2021, after dealing with long-term health issues. He left us suddenly and we are heartbroken. He is survived by his wife Janice, sons Andrew (Vanessa), grandchildren Kaylee and Caleb, Derek and Tyler. His sister Lela/DeeDee (Randy) Good. Half-brother Bob Cherin. In addition, there are so many more close relatives and friends that will cherish his loving memory.

Greg was a lifelong resident of West Seattle. He was the son of Eugene (Gene) and Marilyn (Jeannie) Cherin, attended Highland Park Elementary, Denny Middle School, and Chief Sealth High School. He graduated with a Business degree from the University of Washington in 1983.

He married Janice on September 11, 1982. Together they raised three wonderful and caring men, Andrew, Derek, and Tyler. Their lives were all enriched having been raised in a loving family. Greg worked for Boeing at the Plant 1, Plant 2, Renton, and also in Palmdale, California for 18 months and at the Tukwila plant. He was a purchaser/buyer and enjoyed the many friendships from that time.

Greg had a passion for baseball and basketball and relayed that passion to all three sons. Their participation in West Seattle sports fueled many games which he helped coach or was the head coach. Through these many activities he developed many lifelong friendships. He would often run into so many people on a trip to the store that you would think would take 30 minutes but last much longer (Janice says).

Greg also enjoyed fishing. He shared many fishing trips in Puget Sound with his cousin David and sons Andrew, Derek, and Tyler. He especially enjoyed fishing out by Blake Island for ling cod.

Relationships were important to him, and he would do anything he could to help others. He enjoyed family the most and was always checking in on family. He went to all family functions – or as many as he could – that lesson he leaves with us will always be important.

We always found ways to travel within the US, often due to a son’s baseball tournament – the memories from all of these trips are very special. Most recently we discovered Hawaii through Andrew and Vanessa. Greg loved Maui because of the beauty, ability to swim in the pools and the ocean, and just relax with family. We were able to go twice in the past 4 years! He and Janice also loved Leavenworth and enjoyed spending time with family and using it as a meeting place with other family members.

In 2017 the most wonderful event happened to Greg and Janice – they became grandparents to Kaylee, and Caleb in 2019. Being a grandfather or ‘Papa’ changed him in many ways – he melted with them both and would do anything for them. He took Kaylee on trips to see the snow in Snoqualmie Pass and to the Nike outlet in North Bend – of course for the good deals. Kaylee is inquisitive and fun; she loved her Papa and of course her Mimi and Uncles. Caleb is an energetic, fun-loving little boy, and watching both of their wonderful personalities develop has been fun to watch. We have had the wonderful pleasure of living close to this little family and seeing them often. They will greatly miss their Papa.

We are so grateful for the many of you who have already reached out and feel so very blessed and honored by your stories and thoughts. We are planning a memorial service to be held this summer. With COVID restrictions hopefully lessening, we are looking at options and will let you know soon.

Share memories of Greg on the Tribute Wall at emmickfunerals.com/obituary/Gregory-Cherin

Arrangements Entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home & Cremation Services of West Seattle

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)