Thank you for letting us know, Mary Jo.
I am in tears over this very sad and shocking news. When I saw this thread with her name as the title I got excited, thinking maybe a link had been posted to something she had written. I had been wondering where she was. I was not expecting this.
Sherry was my first DisBoards friend when I joined in 2009. We had such a great friendship in the Disneyland Trip Reports section of the boards. She had the most amazing gift when it came to writing. What most people might write in 3 sentences, she would write in 3 paragraphs. Not in a boring, long-winded way... but in a way that captured every last detail. Her Halloween and Holiday Trip Reports were such a treat to read. She loved taking pictures. She loved all the details that many people overlooked. She loved the window displays on Main Street. She loved the "popcorn turning dudes" (as she called them) at the popcorn carts. She loved the themed bathroom signs. She loved looking down and noticing the flowers and she loved looking up and noticing the weather vanes. I can't see any of these without thinking of her.
She used the rolling on the floor laughing one all the time, she used the dancing banana when she had good news to share ("I'm heading to Catalina Island for my birthday!") and she called the last one "Creepy Dancing Guy." She was a wonderful host of the Halloween and Holiday time Superthreads. I looked forward to her Theme Weeks, a call to post pictures relating to specific aspects of the season.
I never met her in real life, but she was certainly a friend. I stepped away from DisBoards for a few years. When I popped in again last year I noticed she wasn't around anymore. It wasn't hard to notice since she was such a fixture around here. I sent her a PM but never heard anything back. I'm not on FB, otherwise I know we would be friends on that forum as well. I remember hoping that last holiday season would bring her out of the woodwork but it didn't.
About a month ago my sister sent me a screenshot of a comment on a Disneyland YouTuber's channel -- a comment regarding a possible sighting of one of the turnstile character pumpkins in a truck driving toward Disneyland. She sent me the comment for the content. But I was more excited about the name of the commenter. Sherry E, it said. It just had to be her. She had such a distinctive, detailed writing style. I felt like I could hear her voice as I read the comment. I have been meaning to reply to that comment on the video, to find out if it was really her and get back in touch. And now I'm kicking myself because I never did.
Tonight I spent some time reading through old PMs and comments she made on my trip reports so I could "hear her voice" again.
Sherry, this year I'll think of you while I watch all the Rankin/Bass Christmas shows. Continue wildly waving that red scarf! I'll hang a star on my Christmas tree for you.
