Sheryl Lynn Kirkland

Sheryl Lynn Kirkland, our Angel we were privileged to call Mom, Wife, Sister, Aunt, and true friend, passed away at age 72 and went home to Heaven to be with her parents, Fred and Elta Gwyn Anderson on 12/19/2020.

Family was at the forefront of Sheryl’s life and nothing was more important. She selflessly gave everything she could to make sure we were happy and lived good lives. Sheryl found her true love, Jeff Kirkland, and married him in 1989. They made a commitment to never give up on each other and developed an eternal bond as a result. The love she gave cannot be put into words and always taught us to give love in return. Her relationship with her siblings, Monty, Gaylene, and Fred (Shelly to extended family) was a close friendship and loved them dearly. Gaylene is not only her sister but her best friend. The two of them could talk for hours and hours about life or just shoot the breeze. Sheryl’s brothers Monty and Fred were held in very high regard by her, loved, and admired as Cowboys and successful men.

Sheryl dedicated her life to education for 37+ years and leaves a legacy of love to all of those that were fortunate to know her. The impact Sheryl had on the lives of thousands of children through her passion to teach and help children learn is immense, as she taught primarily lower grades with young children. Sheryl sacrificed a tremendous amount for her family at home and her family at school. She spent countless hours of effort making sure she was doing her part to help everyone around her. Her endeavors definitely made the world a better place and we can only hope to have the same impact she did with her time on this planet.

Sheryl enjoyed spending as much time as possible with family, camping, taking in all that nature has to offer, and instilled a love for the beauty Utah has in all of us. She loved to crochet beautiful scarves, hats, and many other things. She also was a tremendous cook and taught us as kids to cook also. We are all very grateful she made us begrudgingly cook once a week a full meal, knowing she was preparing us for independence as adults. Sheryl was a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and a shining example of what it is to strive to be “Christlike” in all that she did. She was committed to doing genealogy and loved doing the research with her sister, Gaylene Darby.

Sheryl graduated from Viewmont High School, then went on to study at Dixie State, and finished her Bachelor’s degree at Weber State University, majoring in Education. Sheryl was also very creative and most don’t know she was a talented artist in her college days in drawing, ceramics, and pastels. She also leveraged this creativity with her students and fostered the love of art in her children.

Sheryl will be missed dearly but we all believe that we will see her again someday. She is immortal in the hearts of many and the memory of her loving presence shall never die.

Surviving relatives include her Husband: Jeffrey Ray Kirkland; Children: Charles Tyler Pickett, Terrell Michael Pickett, Kiersten Aubrey Kirkland, Samuel Kirkland, Joshua Kirkland, Amiee Kirkland; Siblings: Vernon Fremont Anderson, Gaylene Darby, Fred Shelly Anderson; Grandchildren: 8

Preceded in death by her Parents: Elta Gwyn and Fred Anderson

A Viewing will be held on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 from 11:00 AM-12:45 PM at Valley View Funeral Home 4335 West 4100 South, West Valley City, Utah 84120; followed by a Funeral Service at 1:00 at the same location.

Interment will take place at Memorial Lakeview Cemetery 1640 Lakeview Drive, Bountiful, Utah 84010

In lieu of flowers, a donation to the family for funeral expenses would be genuinely appreciated