Sheryl Lynn Soulis Cole

Sheryl Lynn Soulis — known in her later years as Sheryl Cole — arrived on April 15, 1947, in Cartersville, Georgia, as the first child of Paul and Evelyn (Bunch) Soulis, and from that very first moment, she was a blessing. As the only girl among her brothers, she wasted no time claiming her rightful place as queen of the home, a title she would hold, with considerable style, for the rest of her life.

Sheryl's earliest years were spent in the warm embrace of her paternal grandparents, Gus and Leila Mae Soulis, with whom the young family made their home during the first thirteen years of her life. Gus carried with him the blood of Greek shepherds — a heritage that would quietly flow through Sheryl all her days, most visibly in her deep and abiding love for animals. But it was Leila Mae who captured Sheryl's heart completely. She wasn't just grandmother — she was Mama. She took Sheryl everywhere, doted on her endlessly, and made sure that the only girl in the family knew exactly how special she was. When Sheryl's Uncle Chris came home on leave during his thirty-year career in the United States Navy, he came bearing gifts — dresses and treasures for the little princess of the house. Sheryl was, without question, loved well from the very beginning.

And she grew into someone worthy of every bit of it.

Sheryl was, in the truest sense of the phrase, a quintessential Southern lady — gracious, bold, larger than life, and entirely her own. She was eccentric in the best possible way, over the top in a way that made life more interesting for everyone around her. She had an extraordinary eye for beauty, for the rare and remarkable thing that others might walk right past. She loved to shop. She loved to live.

She built a career that reflected all of that ambition and drive. Sheryl became a towering figure in the world of real estate, making her name with Homestead Properties, Century 21, and beyond — a consummate professional who mastered every room she walked into, every negotiation she led, every deal she closed. But perhaps her greatest professional distinction was this: she became the first female real estate broker in Bartow County, a pioneering achievement she carried with the quiet confidence of a woman who never doubted she belonged exactly where she was. She also ran eight chicken houses with Gold Kist on her property for many years, because Sheryl was never one to do anything halfway.

Her home was a reflection of her spirit. For many years she lived on a rock quarry property that she was enormously proud of — a beautiful log cabin she built herself. It was the kind of place that could only belong to someone like Sheryl: rooted, original, and a little bit magical.

And the animals. Oh, the animals. Somewhere in those Greek shepherd genes lived an unstoppable love for every living creature, and Sheryl honored it fully. Over the years she shared her life and her land with pigs, goats, donkeys, horses, peacocks, cats, dogs, ducks, and chickens — and she loved them all. But there was one who reigned above the rest: Pearl, her beloved bulldog. Sheryl loved Pearl more than she could say, and anyone who knew her knew it.

She had her rituals and her passions, and she kept them faithfully. A trip to The Varsity in Atlanta was nothing short of a sacred occasion. Ketchup — her absolute favorite condiment — went on everything, without exception or apology. And Tom Jones. Always Tom Jones. She was his most devoted fan on this earth, and she carried that devotion with her until the day her memory could hold it no longer.

Then there was family. Sheryl's niece Stephanie learned early that there was a proper way to summon her aunt's full attention — one had to address her as "My Charming and Gracious Aunt Sheryl." Nothing less would do. It was funny, and it was also completely accurate.

One Black Friday, Sheryl proved just how far her love could go. When Cabbage Patch Kids were the toy of the moment and stores across America were absolute chaos, Sheryl waded into the fray and came out the other side, doll in hand, having fought for it with everything she had. That Cabbage Patch Kid has been treasured for over forty years. Some gifts are just like that.

At fifty-two, Sheryl's heart had more love to give, and so she did what made perfect sense for a woman like her: she adopted her daughter, Kaitlin. She liked to say she found Kaitlin in the cabbage patch — and that was that. Kaitlin was hers, and she was Kaitlin's, and the joy of that was immeasurable.

Summer afternoons and the smell of homemade ice cream at her mother's house. The sound of donkeys beating on the property. Pearl at her feet. Tom Jones on the radio. A life lived, in every way, on her own magnificent terms.

In her final years, Sheryl faced Alzheimer's disease with the same quiet dignity she brought to everything in her life. Though the illness was a thief, it could not take what mattered most — the love that surrounded her. On Sunday, June 14, 2026, Sheryl passed peacefully at Manor Lake in Cartersville, Georgia, the city where she had drawn her very first breath. She was not alone. Gathered at her side were those who loved her most: her daughter Kaitlin, her brother Keith, his wife Linda, her niece Stephanie, and Lila — the widow of her beloved brother David, who had only just preceded her. Her passing is a profound loss, and yet those who loved her find comfort in knowing that she is no longer sick, that her body has been restored, and that she is, at last, at peace.

The family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the caring staff of Manor Lake and the nurses of Transitions Hospice, whose compassion and dedication were a blessing beyond measure.

Sheryl was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Evelyn Soulis; her brother, Larry; and her beloved brother, David, who left this world just two months and fourteen days before she did — as though even in passing, they couldn't stand to be separated for long.

She is survived by her daughter, Kaitlin Cole; her granddaughter, Charlotte; her brother, Keith, and his wife, Linda; her niece, Stephanie Reyes, and her husband, Alberto; and a beloved circle of cousins who were blessed to call her family.

There was no one like Sheryl Lynn Soulis Cole. The quintessential Southern lady. The first female broker in Bartow County. The woman who built her own cabin, loved her Pearl, fought strangers for a Cabbage Patch doll, and required — required — to be addressed as Charming and Gracious.

She was all of those things. Every single one.

May she rest in the peace she so beautifully earned — and may Tom Jones know, wherever he is, that he had no greater fan.

Gathering of family and friends will be held on Thursday, June 18, 2026, beginning at 12pm with a Graveside Service of Sheryl's life at 2pm at Sunset Memory Gardens.