Cheryl Lynn Keyser

Cheryl Lynn Keyser, 63, passed away on November 5, 2026, after a devastating battle with FTD. Cheryl was born of loving parents Stephan and Patricia Keyser on January 25, 1963 in Williamsburg, Virginia. Her parents supported her early interest in music with a new piano. Cheryl and her younger siblings, Stevie and Lori, all became performing musicians in their early teens for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Cheryl had a life-long love of music in all forms. She also loved the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and her family vacations there. She had fond memories of how relaxed the family would be together at the beach. Daring activities like tossing a frisbee indoors on vacation was something she would never forget.

Cheryl believed strongly that all people are equal and should be treated fairly. She believed there was good in everyone. She was an independent thinker who treasured her personal freedom. She had a love for fashion, and enjoyed dressing in attractive clothing. Her handwriting was beautiful. She decorated her home with American Folk Art, with the exception of her favorite artist Vincent van Gogh. Cheryl loved strong female singer songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Lauryn Hill. She even became a fan of Madonna after her “Ray of Light” album.

Cheryl had a wide variety of employment over the course of her life. She studied and performed on the Harpsicord under Charles Hardin in Colonial Williamsburg. She was an Office Manager, Librarian, clerk for Merrill Lynch, and a self-employed Yoga teacher. She worked with special needs children at Child Development Resources First Steps, and as a Social Worker for York County. She volunteered for Meals on Wheels, and brought her young children with her to the delight of her clients. Cheryl’s most rewarding role in life was a loving mother to her children.

Cheryl left home at the age of 17. She graduated from Lafayette High School a year early, and married her high school sweetheart. They moved to Greensboro, NC to begin their new adult lives. The marriage was short-lived, and Cheryl moved back to her beloved hometown Williamsburg. She fell in love with a French chef, married, and moved to France! She became pregnant with her first child, and made the decision to return to Williamsburg to give birth. Her daughter, Lauren Ashley Fontan, was born in the same hospital as her mother, Williamsburg Community Hospital. Cheryl had a stepson, Thomas Fontan, in this same period of life. Major illness and other issues contributed to the end of her marriage. Cheryl did not give up on family life, and married a Williamsburg local she knew from her teens. They moved to a 19th century house in Gloucester, with plenty of space for children, gardening, chickens, goats, cats and dogs. She had four more children: Peter, Ian, Natalie, and Olivia, all born in the same hospital as her. She could see her parents house in Williamsburg across the York River from her front yard in Gloucester. “Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go” was a true description for her children visiting grandparents during the holidays.

Cheryl’s passing has been a huge loss to those who loved her. There is a small comfort knowing her suffering is over. She was preceded in death by her first child, Lauren Ashley Fontan, Rose (Granny) Keyser, and her father Stephan Ashley Keyser. Cheryl is survived by her mother, Patricia Keyser, brother Stephan Ashley Keyser, sister Lori Hounshell (Tom), Aunt Susie (Kyle), her children Peter Nelson, Ian Nelson (Holly), Natalie Nelson, Olivia Nelson, stepson Thomas Fontan, and nephew Brandon Hounshell. She also leaves behind lifelong friends including Todd Nelson and many others who were fortunate to know and love her.

Funeral Services will be held at Nelsen Funeral Home, 3785 Strawberry Plains Road, Williamsburg, VA on November 20, 2026 at 1:00 PM.