Cherie Lynn Rector

I was blessed to call this brave and beautiful woman my second mom. She comforted me during one of the lowest points of my life, and I was honored to do the same for her. I love her fiercely and although she has returned to her heavenly father and her earthly parents, not a day will go by that she is not missed by those who remain behind

I was instantly impressed when I first met my husbands grandmother, Cherie, a few years ago. She was an accomplished woman with a gift: a knack for making things beautiful and a natural ability to host, whether she was preparing a thoughtful meal or making absolutely everyone feel welcome. For her beloved grandchildren, she was a source of great joy, wisdom, and comfort.

I once heard someone say, "When someone passes away, the hole they leave in your life never gets smaller, but our job is to build ourselves bigger around the hole. We do that by taking the best virtues and character traits of the person that we lost and using discipline, restraint, and practice to integrate those character traits into our own character. In doing that, we make ourselves larger, and the hole gets smaller, and the best parts of that person live through us." This is something I´ve reflected on heavily over the last week. With her passing, I hope to lead by her example to keep her memory alive. I will make every effort to live with the same grace and genuine warmth that she demonstrated every day.

Painting buddies !

Our world benefitted from her presence. May her family find comfort in their memories of her. I worked with Cherie on several editions of the book. My heartfelt condolences.

We were lucky enough to share many wonderful gatherings and trips with Cherie. She was a ray of sunshine that radiated love and kindness. We will always cherish our river cruise through Europe with the Rectors. Our hearts are with the family

Cherie was my Thesis chair at CSUB. She was a great mentor-she is responsible for me becoming faculty at CSUB. She didn´t just invite me to teach, she continued to mentor me through my academic career including finding the perfect Doctoral program. Our community health students still use the textbook Cherie wrote. She has touched countless nurses and as an extension, their patients and families.

I´ll be forever grateful for memories of a magical European river cruise. Cherie led us all through many firsts. We had hoped to share a second cruise. But again, she went ahead of us to pave the way.

So sorry to hear , she will be missed. Love you all cousins. Joan Usher

To the family of Cherie Rector. I have had the privilege of knowing Jerry and Cherie for many years. I have watched her and Jerry progress in their post high school years. Their devotion to their family and education is stunning. To be numbered among their friends is a privilege. God bless you, Jerry and family. Bud Black

In loving memory of a wonderful person. We will love you and miss you always.

Dr. Cheri Rector was my Thesis Chair at Cal State Bakersfield. She was a great mentor. She introduced me to Kaweah Delta Hospital so I could complete my research. I deeply admire her for being an incredible individual with so much accolades, a wonderful faculty, and a super nurse. My memories of her will always be with me and I thank her family of sharing her. So much missing of her smiles and her fun attitudes....
Annie.

Cherie was always someone I looked up to in my youth. Bless her love ones during this time. love, Susan Wright Mallamo

Cherie has been a dear family friend for many years. She was especially kind to our young family when we came to Visalia in the early 1980s and we did not know anyone here. We will miss her compassionate spirit and will look forward to the day we can all be gathered again.

Trying to single out one memory of my Aunt Cherie feels impossible. Like all of my aunts, she is woven into the fabric of my foundation. Though we often lived apart, she was always a steady presence in my family and in my heart. Cherie was smart, accomplished, and thoughtful. Her gifts were endless: her legendary peach cobbler, her artistic mastery, her funny stories, her unforgettable laugh, and the way her questions made me feel important, even as a child. She had a magic touch that made everything better. She was an important constant in my life, and her presence will be deeply missed.

I had the privilege of growing up by my Aunt Cherie . She gave me 3 beautiful beautiful cousins. When I heard of her passing the memories just flowed. Cherie was always a comfort when we were sick, if we needed a question on a medical condition. She was always there for her family, but many others . Cherie was a beautiful decorator, Christmas time was always a wonderful time to be in her home . Christmas in the 1980´s when we all got cabbage patch kids we have a photo of all of them on the couch , with my sister in the middle . I will truly miss her . I know I will see her soon . Love you my Auntie !

My aunt Cherie was one of my biggest cheerleaders from as far back as I can remember. She came to every important event of my life to support me. We shared the same passions for nursing, education, decorating and making our spaces pretty. I will miss her as one of the constants in my physical life, but know she continues to cheerlead from beyond.