Cheryl Gilles

Cheryl Anne "Sherry" Gilles, 59, of Champaign, IL, passed away on March 1, 2021. Sherry was a self-proclaimed "Hill Girl", born in Huntington, WV on January 25, 1962. She graduated from Wirt High School in 1980 and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Purdue Calumet in 1995. Sherry worked as a registered nurse for Methodist Hospitals and The Hartford Insurance Group.

Sherry was preceded in death by her father, Laurence Gilles, Jr.; mother, Helen Gutierrez (Salyers); stepfather, David Gutierrez; niece, Melanie McNeish; and cousins, Marcella Joyce Winfree, Buddy Brown, and Joe Salyers. She is survived by her partner, Raymond T. Anderson; daughters, Karen Schuster & Rachel Sutton; brother, Mark (Mindy) Gilles; sister, Laura Gilles; nephew, Shannon (Samantha) McNeish; niece, Krista Fusko; aunts Joan (Sal) Rodriguez & Linda (David Michael) Gutierrez; cousins Lisa (David) Laux, Chandra (Paul) Ostrander, Tami Sams, Jon Hasse, Justin Gutierrez, Savannah Gutierrez; great-nephews Bradley & Nathan; great-niece, Renae; and other relatives and friends.

Sherry was a passionate activist for disability rights, especially those of blind people, and her efforts resulted in better and safer accessibility for those in many communities and online. She was an anti-racism activist, seeking to continuously learn, and she did what she could to push for criminal justice reform and the exoneration of those who had been wrongfully convicted. Dedicated to open discussion of death, Sherry was active in the international Death Cafe movement, hosted Death Cafes throughout the region, and was a certified death midwife. She believed in and practiced radical hospitality, living prudently so she could quietly give time, money, food, and gifts to others in need.

Sherry sang in two choirs locallyAmasong and The Choral Union. She was on the Amasong board and performed as an alto in both groups, making cherished friends and memories. She was a gifted writer of poetry and stories, through which she relayed her spirituality and love for the Moon. In Sherrys own words, "Live well. Live kind and brave. / On your journey to the grave."

A private, graveside service will take place in Danville, IL, on March 12th at 12:00 PM (livestream/subsequent recording will be available). In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Innocence Project at www.innocenceproject.org. A celebration of Sherrys life will be held at a later date.

Please join her family in sharing memories, photos and videos on her tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com