Malone, Cheryl Ann
MALONE, Cheryl Ann
Beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, and nana, Cheryl Ann Malone, passed peacefully on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, after defying the odds with Pancreatic Cancer for nearly four and a half years. Cheryl was 74 years young and was known for her signature smile, her love of aqua, her unwavering faith, and unconditional love of her family and friends.
Cheryl was born at Heller Memorial Hospital in Napoleon, OH, on May 19, 1949, to Gerald and Lucille Knepley. After graduating from Napoleon High School in 1967, she attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education. On her last day of college, she met and later married the love of her life, Charles Alan Malone. Cheryl started her career as an inspiring and loving 2nd grade teacher in both Cincinnati, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois.
After the birth of her children, Cheryl decided to focus her time on raising her family while becoming a volunteer extraordinaire as well as a relocation expert. Moving nine times between Illinois, Ohio, Connecticut, New York, and Georgia (twice), kept her busy and making new friends for many years! Cheryl was blessed to have life-long friends and family around the country. She particularly enjoyed visits from her sister, Joyce, who came often to visit from Las Vegas, NV. They shared a rare bond and spoke nearly every day, usually by FaceTime so they could see each other from nearly 2,000 miles away. Always up for a creative challenge, Cheryl could also be found volunteering to help within her children's schools as well as within her community.
After sending her children to college, Cheryl reignited her love for teaching by shaping the minds of countless gifted children at Mt. Bethel Elementary School in Marietta, GA. Her passion for endless learning, in particular understanding the latest technology trends, benefited all her students as she created a classroom environment where each child could reach their full potential.
During her tenure at Mt. Bethel, she met and formed a book club with many incredible friends, who all met frequently to enjoy the four staples in life: food, laughter, red wine and great books.
Cheryl cherished her retirement time with her "grands": Luci, Kate, Owen and Isla. She never turned down an opportunity to be with them and enjoyed celebrating with her family each weekend to enjoy the aforementioned staples. When she wasn't loving on her kids, grandchildren, and husband, she spent countless hours in her personal studio engaged in a multitude of craft activities, but most notably beautiful, custom greeting cards featuring her favorite color aqua.
Cheryl is survived by Charles 'The Rock' Malone (husband of 51 years this past August 26); daughter, Jennifer Malone Foresman (Aaron); son, Jason Malone; son, Jonathan Malone (Erin); brother, Gregg Knepley (Jean); sister, Joyce Cordon (George); brother, Mark Knepley (Candy); and her precious "grands": Luci Foresman, Kate Foresman, Owen Malone, and Isla Malone.
In lieu of flowers and to honor Cheryl's desire to end pancreatic cancer and help future generations, please consider donating to https://secure.pancan.org/site/Donation or https://www.swimacrossamerica.org.
A memorial service was held at St. Paul Lutheran Church (1075 Glenwood Avenue, Napoleon, OH 43545) on Sunday, September 3, 2023. A separate Celebration of Life service will take place in Marietta, GA in early October, 2023.
