Sherry HAGEN

January 13, 1949 - June 22, 2025

Vancouver - Sherry Lynn Hagen passed away June 22, 2025, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. She and her husband of 57 years, Arden Hagen, were starting a birdwatching and Snow Leopard tour when she survived a heart attack, but died later of a perforated stomach ulcer.

Sherry was born in Spokane on January 13, 1949, to Frank and Ethel Butts of Otis Orchards. She graduated from East Valley High School in 1967, as a member of the National Honor Society, and married Arden on September 1 of that year. They celebrated the 60th anniversary of their first date on April 3.

She enjoyed doing many crafts, including scrapbooking and doll house miniatures, but her main passion was travelling the world, photographing birds. She and Arden made 35 trips to 28 countries. At the time of her death, she ranked 5th in the world on the American Birding Association list for photographed species with 3,941. Her life list for identified species was 5,102. Hummingbirds and owls were her favorites. In 2012, they broke the Washington state record for species seen in one year with 370, a record that lasted 9 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Donald Butts; and sisters, Sandra Morgan and Billie Kay Johnson.

Sherry is survived by her husband, Arden Hagen of Vancouver, WA; sons, Jason and Russell Hagen in the Spokane area; and her cherished granddaughters, McKenzie Hagen and Prisma Hagen.