Sherry Lynn Roselius

We are devastated and heartbroken to let it be known that Sherry Lynn Roselius, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and dear friend to so, so many, has become our loving angel, as she passed away on December 13, 2022, in Sarasota, FL at age 74.

Sherry is survived by Mardi Lynn Roselius, her spouse of 56 years. Daughter, Teri Lynn (Casper) Pollich of Scottsdale, AZ, son, Michael (Cheryl) Roselius of Indio, CA, grandson Brandon Michael Roselius of Seattle, WA, granddaughter Katherine Lynn Alhadeff of Phoenix, AZ, granddaughter Kristina Lynn Alhadeff of Phoenix, AZ, step granddaughters Tiffany (Susie) Zenke of Mesa, AZ, mother, Ruth Wright Reeves, of Huntsville Al, sister, Sonja Craven, brother, Tom (Susie) Reeves of Huntsville, AL, sister, Alicia (Bob) Cauley of Charlotte, NC. 

Sherry was born in Childersburg, AL, April 18, 1948, and raised in Virginia by her career Navy father, Howard T. Reeves, and homemaker Mother, Ruth Wright Reeves. Her father was later transferred to Key West Naval Station where Sherry enrolled in Key West High School, graduating in 1966. Having met Marty in their senior year, they dated, graduated on June 3, 1966, and married on August 12, 1966. Sherry worked for City Electric, Key West, for one year before moving to West Palm Beach, where her first child, Teri Lynn, was born and then together they were off to Tallahassee for college before settling in Jacksonville where her second child, Michael Wayne, was born.

After seven years as a wife, mother and homemaker, she moved with her family to Esfahan, Iran in 1977 where she was the librarian for the elementary school in the American School System. Following a vacation with her family to Europe and the Far East, she and her family were evacuated back to the States in January 1979, due to the abdication of the Shah during the Iranian Revolution of ’78-’79.  Relocating to Seattle, WA, Sherry was employed by the Library for the Blind, before transferring to the children’s department of the King County Library System. Later promoted to the position of Program Coordinator for the 42-branch library system, she hosted authors, speakers, and entertainers, some of whom were celebrities in their own right, and others of whom she helped launch their subsequent careers. After 20 years with the King County Library system Sherry accepted a position with the City of Seattle Library System with its 27-branches. She continued to serve as a program coordinator with a programing budget of a quarter million dollars.

Two years later, with her children having finished college and married, she and Marty finding themselves with an empty nest, retired to Scottsdale, AZ. Missing her terribly, her daughter, her son and their families soon followed, relocating to Scottsdale and Chandler, AZ, respectively.

Sherry and Marty enjoyed 10 years of retirement life in Arizona, spending time with her family and three doting grandchildren, and traveling extensively, beginning with a 5-month road trip through Europe, followed by two barge trips through the canals of France with friends, sailing through the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, the Cook Islands, and Tonga, and vacations to Hawaii, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Taiwan, the Bahamas, St. Croix, Margarita Island, Venezuela, Guatemala and Honduras, and many destinations in Mexico. 

In 2005, she and Marty purchased a condo on a beautiful sandy beach in Puerto Pensco, Mexico, a small fishing village, four hours south of Scottsdale on the Sea of Cortez. She split her time between Scottsdale and “Rocky Point” as the Americans fondly called it, vacationing with the family, including long summers with the grandchildren.

In 2013, with the grandchildren soon entering college, Sherry and Marty, longing to return to South Florida, relocated to Sarasota, purchasing Sherry’s “Dream Home” in the suburbs east of town. She took the neighborhood by storm, soon joining the ladies for ladies’ lunches, the ladies’ Bunco group, and regular gatherings for competitive games of Mahjong. It is in Sarasota, that without family nearby, Sherry extended herself, making many new and dear friends she corralled for shopping, lunches, cards, movies, and cocktail parties. She perfected her skills in entertaining, throwing elaborate dinners and parties for her new-found friends, setting a standard few could match. In June 2022, Sherry had a strong desire to move to downtown Sarasota, to enjoy the benefits of downtown living, so they sold their dream home and moved to CitySide Apartments. Sherry immediately assimilated into a group of wonderful residents who quickly became her family of friends, participating in swim aerobics, ladies cocktail parties and the many activities available there.

Her love of family and friends, her sense of humor and charismatic personality, was truly loved by those fortunate enough to have been in her life. She was the matriarch of our family, the Queen that led with her wisdom, the center of our universe, and the breath that gave us life.

Sadly, her life at CitySide was cut short as she succumbed to a heart condition, slipping away peacefully as she slept. Her broken heart has broken ours in ways we couldn’t imagine. We know that Sherry is in her heavenly home wearing a beautiful Lily dress and holding a cocktail toasting to all of us that dearly loved her.

An announcement for Sherry’s celebration of life gathering will be forthcoming and will be held in Sarasota, FL in the spring of 2023.