Sherry Lee "Shake" Handlos

Sherry Lee Handlos "Shake"
Sherry, age 63, went to the Lord's arms, at home holding the hand of her life partner Gar Luckmann and with her son Nicholas Handlos by her side. Beloved and cherished life partner of Gar Luckmann for 25 years. Proud and loving mother of Nicholas (Dusti Handlos Swanson) Handlos. Loving stepmother to Colin (Carolyn) Luckmann, Cody (Stefanie McGill) Luckmann, and Casey (John) Taylor. Dearest sister to Joy (Mike) Gilbert and Lorena Handlos. Beloved and loving Grammie to Kellan and Lainey Jo Handlos. Grandma to Dylan and Jason Luckmann, John Jr., Josh, and soon to be here Aria Samantha June Taylor. Preceded in death by parents Herman and Ruth (Winter) Handlos, sister Christine Handlos, and brother Jeff Handlos.
Sherry was born in Milwaukee, WI on September 22, 1960. She attended Townsend Street Elementary School and then Wilbur Wright Junior High before moving on to Milwaukee Washington High School where she graduated in 1978.
Early in life, Sherry developed a love for music and dancing. The 1970s were a perfect era for her. As a teenager she grew up with the disco years and any chance she had, onto the dance floor she went. In later years any time a Line Dance or the "Chicken Dance" formed she joined in. In fact, Sherry didn't need a dance floor. Anytime she was moved to dance, any surface would do, from hallways to tables to bar tops. That's where her nickname "Shake" originated. She knew the words to almost every song and always sung along.
After High School she worked tirelessly to improve her lot in life. She always felt behind others who had college degrees, but that just made her learn more on her own. She dove into any challenge a job would present and made herself indispensable to her employers. She started with Dunham's Sporting Goods traveling the country performing new store setups. From there she moved to Gardner Bender in a buyer's role. After a few years, she was hired on as an Internal Sales Rep for Hampel Corp in Germantown, WI. After 20 years she accepted a job with Satellite Industries as a Senior Buyer/Planner for the last 5 years. Sherry was tough, but fair. Both vendors and customers loved working with her because they knew that she had everyone's best interests in mind.
Sherry absolutely loved all her family. I called her the H (Handlos) W (Winter) Historian. Some days she would sit down and go through the thousands of family pictures that she collected through the years. She would see a picture or two and send it to an aunt, cousin, uncle, or friend she thought the picture would bring a smile or fond memory to. If it was your Birthday, Anniversary, or you were having health issues, she always sent you a card whether you were family or friend.
In 1994, on April 26th, Sherry's proudest moment arrived, the birth of her son, Nicholas Lee Handlos. Sherry was instantly moved. She was fiercely protective and loved him more than life itself. She, with the help of her mother, father, and sisters raised, taught, and provided for Nick as no mother could. All of her best traits became Nick's traits. Honesty, politeness, caring, and exuberance to mention a few. And guess what, Nick has a great appreciation for music and dance too.
Sherry has many relatives, too many to mention. Sherry and one set of cousins live together for a while and the dancing parties were epic. Aunts and Uncles had a special place in her heart. The many cousins she had all were in her heart and they all have wonderful memories of her and their escapades. She felt a loving need to maintain family traditions and ensured that holiday events and dinners were hosted by her and Gar at our house. Laughter and Love filled the whole house at these events.
Another thing Sherry loved was gambling, playing games, and cards. For Sherry, her M.O. and rallying cry was "There is no Family in cards" and our grandkids found out early to play to win and play fair. Each grandkid was staked out about $5.00 in coins because Sherry said there was no sense in playing cards if you didn't play for money. She had the patience to teach any game to anybody. She loved slots and some card games. Many a time at the night's end we would find her sitting at a slot machine in a restaurant, bar, or bowling alley. She enjoyed the Packers, Brewers, Badgers, and Bucks, but quite honestly was in attendance more for the comradery and people more than the actual game. Many times at Packer games she would leave at halftime to find a bar and start playing the Jukebox and talking to other patrons.
Years back, Sherry felt in her heart that there was something missing in her life. That turned out to be the Lord, Jesus. One Sunday, she attended Crossway Church and immediately knew this was the community to lead her to the Lord. Over the last few years her understanding and faith in the Lord and his promise to prepare a house for us all in Heaven became steadfast. She truly believed God loved her and all of us who believe and that Jesus died for us on the cross. Knowing Sherry, she's singing his praises and dancing for his pleasure right now.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at CHURCH AND CHAPEL FUNERAL HOME, 1875 N. Calhoun Rd. Brookfield, WI from 12:30 PM until time of the Memorial Service at 2:30 PM.
There will be a Celebration of Life get together immediately following the service at VILLAGE BOWL, N86 W18330 Main St. Menomonee Falls, WI 53051. Food, beverages, and music will be provided. There will also be a mic and speaker available for approximately 30 minutes for anyone to share their fondest memory or story of Sherry.
In lieu of Flowers, memorial donations made in Sherry's name to Germantown K9 Fundraising Organization Inc. Sherry was an active volunteer for the Germantown Police Department for more than 10 years. https://germantownk9unit.com/
Church & Chapel Funeral Service Serving the Family Milw. 262-827-0659 Wauk. 262-549-0659 Online Obit, Condolences, Directions www.churchandchapel.com