Cheryl was born on January 17, 1970 in Austin, Texas, to George and Virginia Craddock. She passed from this life on June 6, 2018, at her home in Georgetown, Texas. She was preceded in death by her grandparents Marion and Florence Craddock and Marrs and Hazel Wyatt.
Cheryl is survived by her life partner Donna Johnson, parents George and Virginia Craddock, siblings Suzanne Martinez and Kevin Craddock, brother in law Richard Martinez, sister in law Suzi Craddock, nephews Alex and Phillip Martinez, nieces Jorden Martinez, Kaci and Madelyn Craddock, her “fur babies” Rufus, Rocky and Maddox and extended family.
Cheryl’s love for her friends and family was the centerpiece of her life; she was defined by kindness and generosity. She had her grandmother’s “green thumb” and was a talented crafts person; a gift from Cheryl was never something last minute or trite, she poured her heart and soul into giving and placed so much thought into everything she created. A true social butterfly, she loved to attend craft fairs, concerts, and gatherings with family & friends. She loved to travel and especially enjoyed regular trips to the beach.
Cheryl’s passion of caring for others was discovered at a very young age and after graduating from Crockett High School, she began her life’s work. Her early career was spent as a caregiver in group homes, the Texas State School, and Family Eldercare of Austin where her passion for serving others was ignited. During her time with Family Eldercare, she wrote and implemented their Alzheimer’s Program. She went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, graduating Summa Cum Laude from Southwest Texas State University in 1999. The next step in her career was managing the group homes, and units at the State School where she previously worked while developing people to follow in her footsteps. As her passion grew, she pursued more opportunities in which she could further advocate for the underserved and reach more of them than she could with her own two hands. The last 13 years she has been proud to work for the State of Texas in various roles at the Department of Aging and Disability Services and most recently with Health and Human Services as the Manager of the Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities Program. Her time with the State was spent advocating for others by developing programs and writing policies that have positively impacted thousands of people with disabilities and their families across the State of Texas and beyond, while leading teams and developing people that will carry on her cause for many years to come.
Visitation will be held on Monday June 11, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Funeral Services on Tuesday, June 12, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home Pflugerville, Texas. A Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, June 24, 2018 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Shady Springs Center, 9401 Sherman Road, Austin, Texas 78742.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that you help us carry on Cheryl’s legacy by making a donation in her honor to Family Eldercare of Austin or the Autism Society of Central Texas.
https://www.familyeldercare.org/
http://www.texasautismsociety.org/
