Cheryl Storms

Cheryl Storms of Eagle River, WI, passed away surrounded by family at her home on October 12, 2025. We will remember her warm heart, her kind, uncomplicated nature, and her love of the underdog.
Cheryl loved to cook and discover exotic new recipes, spend time with her grandchildren, and attend cultural events. She was an avid gardener, music aficionado, lover of animals and flowers, and an outdoorswoman who adored spending time as a part of nature: camping, fishing, boating, snowmobiling, birdwatching, and basking in the energy of the forest. Her life's motto was from her father's store: The Spirit of the Outdoors lives on.
Born February 6, 1944, Cheryl inherited her lifelong love of the outdoors from her parents, Jerry and Lucille Novak. After some years living above her father's sporting goods store in Cicero, the family moved to Riverside, Illinois, where Cheryl spent her school years. She and her parents went on many lakeside adventures and particularly enjoyed summering in Lake Geneva.
While attending Riverside-Brookfield High School, Cheryl worked at the historic Marshall Field's. At R-B, she displayed early on her penchant for connecting with people and strengthening community; she was a synchronized swimmer with the Sabrina Swim Club, sang with and accompanied the choir, and was a member of the Girls Athletic Association, Pep Club, Life Guard Club, Yearbook staff, and Usher Club.
Cheryl enrolled in Northern Illinois University, where she deepened her lifelong love of learning. While earning her Bachelor's in Education, she helped make the world a better place through her work as an early, active member of Sigma Lambda Sigma service sorority. It was there that she and Ken met and fell in love. After graduating, they wed in a lovely summer ceremony and established their first home in Belvidere, Illinois.
While Ken earned his Master's, Cheryl supported them as a 4th-grade teacher in the Belvidere public schools. After a few years of town living, they needed more country in their lives and bought a house west of Rockton. Tall Oaks was a launch pad for many new adventures, including raising the boys, deep involvement in the Sports Car Club of America, organizing and hosting the legendary Cranberry Christmas craft fair at their home, defending her title of Queen of the Garage Sales, and yearly summer camping excursions to Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula, during which she instilled in Mike and Peter a love of the great outdoors (teaching them how to filet fish).
Once the kids were in high school, Cheryl's love of helping young minds grow and meeting people where they are led her to take a position as a Teacher's Aide in the Resource Room at Shirland School. This work inspired her to earn her Master's Degree in Learning Disabled Education at Rockford College, and she then served as Special Education Teacher at Shirland until retiring in the early 2000s.
In 1993, needing even more country in their lives, Ken and Cheryl established Camp Storms in Eagle River and quickly became enmeshed in their new community. After retirement, they moved to Eagle River full-time and were active in the Carpenter Lake Association, Drinking Liberally, various book clubs, and the Sno Eagles Snowmobile Club. Cheryl established and for 13 years organized the Sno Eagles "Saturday Night Out", a monthly outing where club members learned the history of one of the area's many restaurants and resorts and gathered for camaraderie and to support a local business.
Cheryl is survived by her husband, Ken; sons Michael (Jennifer) and Peter (Juliana); beloved grandchildren Megan and Brenden; and her adored pets and grandpets Stormy, Kromer, Benson, Plumeria, Bergamutt, Oreo, Cooper, Oliver, Ted, and Bailey.
A Celebration of Life will take place at a later date, where we can raise a glass of her favorite drink: a Brandy Manhattan with cherry juice and three olives.
Instead of flowers, we ask that you remember Cheryl with a gift to the Forest County Humane Society or WXPR Public Radio.