Christine "Cheryl" Walker

With great sadness and deep grief, her family announces Cheryl’s passing on Friday, October 11, 2019, at home, with her husband, son and daughter by her side.

Born in Glace Bay, she was the daughter of the late Harry and Effie (Matheson) Wadden and youngest sister of the late Stanley Wadden and the late Kaye Beanlands. Growing up, Cheryl was always busy and involved in the community with friends, church and was the ‘apple of their eyes’ for her many relatives. After graduating from Morrison High, Cheryl went on to complete her teaching degree, bought her first car and moved to Halifax, rooming at the YWCA for the first year where she met life-long friends and began to teach at Bloomfield School and later Joseph Howe School. Cheryl had an active social life with friends, going to many movies, dances at the Jubilee Boat Club and making trips to the local A&W restaurant, which is where she met the future love of her life, Russell, whom she married in June of 1968.

In 1974, Cheryl became a mother to Jason and a handful of years later, became a mother to Laurel. She loved being a mother and was devoted to her family, returning to substitute teach when her children started school. Cheryl was a natural teacher, helping not only the students she taught while in the classroom, but also her own children and many nieces, nephews and others by tutoring, teaching reading recovery, editing papers and helping with speeches for their school and university years.

Cheryl loved the many summers spent at the cottage in Trout Brook on the Mira River with her family and friends, often with 19 people sleeping under the same roof. Family vacations was another thing that Cheryl loved to do and one of her favourite places to go was to Florida. She loved going to Walt Disney World and would often say that her favourite place to be was sitting on a bench on Main Street with an ice cream in her hand.

As the family organizer of all parties, get-togethers and special events, Cheryl easily hosted hundreds of events for her family, friends and colleagues. A get together could be arranged in minutes to mark a beautiful sunny day with a barbeque and swim in the backyard pool. Family time was important to Cheryl and she valued each moment she had to spend with them.

Cheryl was a rock and anchor for her family and many others and she was always more interested in those around her than in herself. Empathy, thoughtfulness and compassion was her way of life. She helped others in whatever way she could and would go to the store and get a load of groceries to deliver to someone’s house when she knew they were struggling and did not have food, or she would call an oil company for a family that was sitting without heat and have their tank filled, making payment for them on site no matter the hour of day.

Cheryl was a long-time member of Fairview United Church where she was a life member of Fairview UCW. Since she began as a member in the UCW Bessie Fraser Unit, Cheryl served in many positions including President, Secretary, Social Convenor and was on the Executive for many years. She also served on the Church Council and Finance and Property. It was at Fairview that she discovered her passion for assisting refugee families to come to Halifax and helping them adjust to their new environment, providing practical help and information, advocating for services that they needed and often becoming their ‘Canadian Mom’. A number of these families became family and loved ones to Cheryl like the Grahovac and Anderson families. At Fairview, Cheryl also worked on fundraisers like the Christmas Bazaar, Christmas Memorial Lights for Advent, Easter Egg Memorial and had a hand in any fundraising activities for the UCW. She was a friend and leader to all those in the UCW and was admired, respected and honoured.

Her family was her pride and joy and she never missed a concert, play, graduation or other special event in the lives of her family. The last three years of Cheryl’s life were her favourite when her grandson Luke came into the world. She loved being his Mammie and they shared a special bond. Despite her (then unidentified) health struggles, she took care of Luke for three days a week up until the end of June and she loved those days more than anything – she called him her ‘treasured gift’. In Cheryl’s own words, that she wanted shared, she said, “I had the best life that anyone could want in this world – I loved and was loved. My family, faith, friends and helping others gave me much happiness and great satisfaction. My life was blessed.”

Cheryl is survived by her much loved husband of 51 years, Russell, beloved children, son Jason (Michelle) and daughter Laurel, and light of her life, grandson Luke, sister-in-law Dorita Wadden, brother-in-law Leslie Beanlands, special cousin Eileen Wadden, in-laws Sylvia (Jimmy) Collier, Gordon (Aubea) Walker, Allen (Zora) Walker, Sheila (Don) Munns and Marilyn Walker, nieces Shauna (Peter Hope) Wadden, Dale (Glen) Mosher, Susan Brown, Margaret-Ann (Walter) Smith, Pam Collier and nephews Darren (Lori Parker) Wadden and Brian (Joy) Walker, many great nieces and nephews, best friends Doreen (Tony) Bower and Jacklynn (Don) MacKenzie. Cheryl is also survived by many friends whose love and devotion blurred the lines between friendship and family. Besides her parents and siblings, Cheryl was predeceased by her great nephew Cameron Hope (in infancy).

Cremation has taken place under the direction of J.A. Snow Funeral Home, Halifax. A celebration of Cheryl’s life will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 2 pm at Fairview United Church, 3524 Dutch Village Rd., Halifax. Rev. Angela MacLean officiating with reception to follow in the church hall. Family flowers only. Memorial donations to Fairview United Church UCW. A portion of donations will be directed to the research of, and helping others living with, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

The family would like to say a special thank you to the nurses at Bayshore, especially Gill and Camille, for the loving care they provided to Cheryl that allowed her to spend her final days at home and to Rev. Angela MacLean for her care and steady presence through this difficult journey.