Cheryl Lynn Silvernail-Van

Cheryl Lynn Silvernail-Van (Platner) died on August 14, 2020 after two-month battle with COVID-19 in Houston, Texas. She was born November 16, 1953 in Walnut Creek, California. She grew up mostly in Sacramento, California, and moved to Katy, Texas in 1990.

Cheryl was preceded in death by her father, Carroll Platner (d. 2006) and survived by her mother, Joyce Platner (Moss). Cheryl was her dad’s cherished only daughter, and she considered her mother one of her very best friends.

She is survived by her husband, Thetaus Robert “Bob” Van. They married in Katy, Texas on August 20, 1994; her passing just days shy of their 26th anniversary.

Nothing meant more to Cheryl than her family and friends. Beginning with her 4 younger brothers to extended family, life-long friends, her bunko groups, and all the “adopted” children she picked up along the way. To her, the more the merrier at every occasion.

The more the merrier with children, too. Cheryl had 7 children and 2 stepdaughters. When her children and stepchildren married, she insisted all the spouses considered themselves part of the family and to call her Mom. Cheryl’s children and their spouses are Tamara Parker (Silvernail) and husband, Robert Parker; Stephanie Turman (Silvernail) and husband, Jasen Turman; Michael Silvernail and wife, Charlene Silvernail; Sara Bennett (Silvernail) and husband, Johnnie Bennett; John Silvernail; Hanna Van; and Justin-Thetaus Van; and her stepdaughters are Teresa Haley and husband, Keith Haley; and Sheryl Linnell.

Cheryl also many grandchildren, Michaela Howe, and husband, Craig Board; Leah Johnston; Blake Johnston; Colten Parker; Takoda Parker; Skylar Turman; Johnnie Paige Parker; Mason Bennett; Benjamin Haley; Katherine Nielsen and husband, Lucas Nielsen; Timothy Haley; Samuel Haley; Kylee Linnell; and McKenzie Linnell. Her great-grandchildren are Alexander Howe and Sabrina Howe.

Cheryl is survived by brothers, Wayne and wife, Cathy; Keith and wife, Laurie; Brian and wife, Beverly; and Miles and partner, Nancy; as well as more than two dozen nieces nephews; and a host of great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, adopted family and friends.

Cheryl lived her life her way joyfully inspiring others to do the same. She did not know a stranger to her. Every animal, plant, and person she came across was hers to take in and make to feel a part of the family. She made a great difference behind the scenes of many lives.

When she was young, she grew up in Sacramento, California after a brief stint in Murray Hill, New Jersey. Growing up the oldest of five children, and the only girl, she learned to be a force to be reckoned with no matter that she barely stood at 5’ 2”. Her parents and four brothers truly meant everything to her.

Cheryl graduated Mira Loma High School in Sacramento, California in 1971. Her high school years were some of her best. She went on to study drafting at American River College, North Highlands, California.

What Cheryl wanted most in life was to have a big family of her own, to be a wife, and to be a mother. She had her first child in 1977, and her seventh on Christmas in 1994, which was fitting for her as she adored Christmas and keeping holiday and family traditions. Cheryl took every opportunity she had to make sure to tell anyone how proud she was to be a mother of seven.

In 1990, Cheryl moved to Katy, Texas. She became the classic sports mom with her many children active in most everything. She enjoyed soccer most and coached for many years. She was well-known as the mother of the seven Silvernail and Van kids, which was an honor she was proud to wear.

Cheryl’s magnetic personality and joyful laugh kept most sticking by her side through life. The most common thing her friends say about her was how kind, loving, and generous she was. She knew how to make people feel loved and accepted. Some of Cheryl’s best memories with her friends were years of bunko and getting into great fun with her best of friends, Jill Redmond.

In 1997, Cheryl became a grandmother. She loved babies, and always knew exactly what to do to remedy anything with them. In 2016, she became a great-grandmother, and loved that her family then had 5 generations on her side. One of her happiest moments this year was when she found out she was going to be a grandmother for the 9th time with a grandson, who will receive her beloved father’s name, Carroll.

Life often brings challenges. One challenge everyone was most proud of Cheryl for was being a breast cancer survivor not once, but twice with the all the medical and research teams at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. The first time she had breast cancer, she was diagnosed in 1997, at 43, with an aggressive form. She beat it with an experimental stem cell transplant using her own adult stem cells and high dose chemotherapy. Two decades later, it returned, and she put it into remission again!

Cheryl Lynn Slivernail-Van will forever be missed as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, cousin, and most cherished friend.

Because MD Anderson Cancer Center always had a special place in Cheryl’s heart, the family asks that in lieu of flowers, please donate to their breast cancer research department, which may be found here on Cheryl’s profile page: http://mdacc.convio.net/goto/cheryl-van