Cheryl Jayne Arnett

LEXINGTON: Cheryl Jayne Arnett, 61, of Lexington, died early Saturday morning, July 17, 2010 at the Cleveland Clinic. Born April 8, 1949, in Mansfield, she was the daughter of Betty Jayne (Kelley) and Charles Russell Sands.
She was a 1967 graduate of Mansfield Senior High School and a 1971 graduate from the Mansfield General Hospital School of Nursing for 38 years. She retired in August 2007 from MedCentral Mansfield Hospital where she worked as a Registered Nurse. Cheryl had a wonderful, friendly disposition and never met a stranger - when she touched your life, you were always the better for it.
Blessed with a servant's heart, she gave of herself unselfishly and volunteered her time at Ridgeway First Church of God, where she also served as Ministry Leader. She organized "Joint Effort", the largest arthritis support group in the northeastern chapter of the Arthritis Foundation and was recognized as "Healthcare Worker of the Year" as well as "Volunteer of the Year". While working at MedCentral Hospital, she received the TWIN award. Cheryl was co-chair of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and had previously served on the Richland County Vision Week Committee and CACY board. She served as both board president and vice-president for the Independent Living Center of North Central Ohio. Cheryl further volunteered her time as education co-chair for the Richland County Relay For Life committee. She was a volunteer speaker throughout the state and was a featured speaker for the annual Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) Symposium and member of the PAH Support Group.
Cheryl enjoyed exploring her literary pursuits by being a member of the Mansfield News Journal Opinion Shaper, writing the newsletter "Nursing Notes" for MedCentral Health Systems and articles for the "Joint Effort" newsletter. She was well-known throughout the community for her unique ability to apply health-related topics to daily living and use humor as part of the process. No matter the setting or topic, when Cheryl spoke…people listened. The lives she touched through those words are too numerous to count.
Cheryl is survived by her husband, Daniel Arnett; son, Shane Arnett of Lexington; daughter, Kelley (Tim) Dove of Lexington; three grandsons, Wyatt Russell Dove, Owen Houston Dove, and Lucas Daniel Dove; three brothers, Mike (Karen) Sands of North Canton, Gary Sands of Orville and Rick (Debbie) Sands of Stow; four sisters-in-law, Heidi Sands of Wooster, Sue Ringold of Santa Fe, NM, Pam (Bob) Allegretti of Brunswick and Carol Arnett of Lexington; father-in-law, Boone Arnett of Mansfield; special aunt, Karen Arnett of Mansfield; "adopted" little sister, Tammy Canfield; and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents; mother-in-law, Helen Arnett; sister, Tonya Sands; and brother-in-law, Ron Arnett.
Friends may visit and share memories of Cheryl with others from 3-5 p.m. Friday, July 23, 2010 at the Ontario Home of Wappner Funeral Directors, 100 S. Lexington-Springmill Road, Mansfield. A celebration service of Cheryl's remarkable life will follow at 5:00 p.m. with Pastor John Dodds and Rev. Timothy Storms officiating.
Memorial contributions may be made to Ridgeway First Church of God, 1380 Park Avenue East, Mansfield, Ohio 44905. Online guest registry at www.wappner.com