Cheryl Lynn Mangelsdorf

Cheryl Lynn Mangelsdorf died July 12, 2020 at St. David's Round Rock Hospital of natural causes. She will be buried at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home in Pflugerville, TX on Friday, July 24, 2020 at 9:00am. Due to Covid-19, you may drive by the burial site and stay in your car. There will be no funeral service. Friends/family will meet in the Cook-Walden parking lot at 11am to go to the gravesite for an informal good-bye.

She was born December 28, 1960 in Buffalo NY to a maternal unit and Lawrence Grass, MD. The family moved to Tucson, AZ where Cheryl became a desert flower who loved all colors of people and was a happy little hippie child, and to be the teacher's (nun's) pet at Catholic school. When her maternal unit later divorced & then married Tom Mangelsdorf, she and her younger brother, Jeff, were adopted by their step-father and a much younger brother (Eric) was born, then all relocated to Austin TX so her new father could become an Episcopal priest. She was plunked into Reagan High School where she quickly, and to her horror, found there were rednecks & race wars. (yee haaaa!!!) The saga continued as Cheryl went to nursing school at Austin Community College where she met the bane of her existence and wife of 39 years, Becky Bell. Cheryl was a nurse (LVN) for over 30 years in many different areas of medicine. She worked as an instructor at a school for certified nurses aides (CNAs) and for Prudential Insurance Company in member services which led her to the job she most loved & was proud of: Medical Quality Assurance and Physician Peer Review at St David's Rehab Ctr in Austin, TX. Cheryl found her place among the "gimps" (her words) as she was in rehab much of her life from being born with clubbed feet, 5 knee surgeries, a back injury, and many more injuries suffered as a result of being a major klutz. Cheryl never met a stranger, and loved all varieties of peoples despite race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, or station in life. She would frequently hug and chat up people on the street like they were old friends & when asked later who they were, would joyfully reply that she had no idea. Her later interests included gardening (wink, wink), scrounging for free items (aka hoarding), and a passion for all animals; as proven by the 3 dogs, 4 cats, 2 parrots, 11+ land turtles, TNTC water turtles, a backyard pond full of koi fish, and approx. 8 ringneck doves. Not to mention trying to care for any strays that turned up. When as an adult she finally re-connected with her natural father, Cheryl was often amused that half her family (the Mangelsdorf side, being of German heritage) killed the other half of her family (the Grass side, being of Jewish heritage) during the Holocaust. A few years ago, Cheryl was reconnected with a childhood friend, Anita Nunnari Valenti, and they rekindled that friendship and really did become BFFs. Anita has been a great friend and source of support to both Cheryl & Becky! (Thank you, Anita) Despite being poor as dirt, Cheryl frequently helped the less fortunate by giving them clothes, vehicles, food, money if she could, or just friendship. She was my true love, reason for my humor, reason for my insanity, and I'm just sure the reason for my stroke!(kidding). I will miss her beyond words, and hope I can find even part of her physical and emotional strength, When I start wondering what I am going to do without her, in my mind, I keep hearing her telling me to buck up, quit whining & bitchin, deal with it, & move on with what I need to do. Cheryl (aka Dumbass- my loving nickname for her), I love you and miss you. I know you are now out of pain and can finally get some sleep. To borrow a line from 'Babe', a movie she loved: "That'll do pig".

To all the people who are old friends (our extended/chosen family), our new friends sent to us; THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE & SUPPORT -both physically and emotionally. There are far too many to list you all by name, but please know I know who you are as you all are etched in my heart. May God bless you all!!!