Sherry was born on June 23, 1955, in Pittsburgh and grew up in nearby Cranberry Township, PA. Sherry had a ferocity for life, even at an early age. As a toddler, she would bounce endlessly on the bed, yelling out “Ballbugger! Ballbugger!” to the confusion of her young parents. As a student at Cranberry Elementary, she won acclaim in the school spelling bee and as an art student. She was never tardy one day.
That excellence continued during fifth grade at Rowan Elementary, where her personality began to shine beyond her intellect: She earned straight A’s in citizenship and health. She was the patrol leader and set her sights beyond what society considered appropriate for women. In a section of her school booklet that offered suggestions for what girls could be when they grow up — teacher, secretary, airline hostess, model — Sherry filled in the blank: Lawyer.
At junior high school at Seneca Valley, Sherry became a member of the science club. She eventually transferred to Evans City Middle School, where she was on the yearbook staff, and studied history and French, sparking a lifelong passion for France and its culture.
At Seneca Valley High School, Sherry thrived. “It is a genuine pleasure to send you this note of congratulations on Sherry’s earning a place on Seneca’s Honor Roll,” the superintendent wrote to Sherry’s parents during her freshman year. She was the lead majorette in the Seneca Valley band, participated in the pep club, and was voted most popular by her schoolmates. She graduated in 1973.
After, Sherry attended college and worked — hard. She decided not to pursue work as a lawyer and instead began her professional career at Westinghouse in Pittsburgh, where she loved showing just how much she could contribute. She returned to finish her college education at Boston University, where she graduated in June 1982. While at college, she met Carmelo at a party. He proposed within a week.
Sherry’s career took many paths, as did Carmelo and Sherry’s location. She taught etiquette and aerobics in Boston, but motherhood was the career she loved most. Graydon was born in November of 1984 in Mount Kisco, NY. Carmelo’s work as an attorney brought the family across the country in March of 1985 to Austin, where Raquel was born in April of 1987.
Raising two children wasn’t just a job for Sherry — it was a devotion. Sherry attended every game, and every school event, and bought lunch for the entire class — the list of things she did to show love is endless. She was a fierce defender of her children. She was feisty, outspoken, and never held back. The only people she may have loved as much as her children were her many animals over the years: three horses Linky, Peaches, and Froggy; 10 dogs Barkley, Baby, Rudy, Isabella, Lulu, Casey, Louis, Georgia, Tyrone, and Jasmine; four cats Boo Boo Kitty, Maggie Mae, Q-Tip, and Shakespeare; two iguanas Iggy 1 and Iggy 2; a snake Maverick; and a bunny Thumper.
While she spent many years focused on being a wonderful mother and loving wife, she began a career as a chef after her children graduated high school. In December of 2006, she received an associate degree from Le Cordon Bleu and in October of 2009 a master's degree from Ecole Ritz Escoffier in Paris, a city she loved dearly. She went on to chef in numerous restaurants in Austin before starting her own pickle company named after her grandmother, LulaBelle.
She was actively involved in a number of charities and organizations. She sat on the board of Ballet Austin for 12 years, serving as chair of the Winter Gala in December of 2002 and receiving awards in 2003 and in 2004. She also served on the Board of Trustees for St. Francis University for 12 years and co-chaired its capital campaign for a number of years.
She is preceded in death by her parents Betty Lou and Graydon “Bub” Crain, and survived by her husband of over 40 years Carmelo; two children and their spouses Graydon (Taryn) and Raquel (David); her grandchildren Javier Lane and Francis Lynn; her second parents Raquel and Xavier Gordian; her sister Maria (Frederick), Bethany and Divina; her brother Joseph (Veronica), Joey and Alexis; and various beloved Crain family members.
The family would like to thank Lisa Noel-Dennis, Nancy Banda, Kari Blaine, Kayla Keating and Bertha Diaz for the care and compassion they showed Sherry over the past five years.
Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of her life at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home on Saturday, June 24 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her honor to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.5