Sherry PANNEK

1947 - 2023

October 2, 1947 - December 30, 2023

Sherry Jean Hansen Pannek, 76, passed away peacefully on December 30, 2023, of advanced pancreatic cancer. Her green eyes twinkled till the end. A service will be held Saturday, January 13, at 2pm, located at Manito Presbyterian Church in Spokane.

Born to Jerry V. Hansen and Erma J. Jones on October 2, 1947, Sherry was a boisterous beauty from the get-go, raising fun wherever she went. She had an uncommon knack for making strangers into friends. Whether on a golf course, ski slope, mountain trail or grocery store check-out line, if you followed the laughter, you'd find Sherry at its source. Raised in Spokane by mother Erma and stepfather Stanton Burr Bennett, her second home was Wilber, WA, where she spent childhood summers visiting her father and paternal grandparents Alfred and Rita Hansen. She delighted in riding the Martha S. ferry to fish the San Poil River with her grandfather and learning outdoor skills as a Campfire girl, eventually earning the prestigious Whohelo Medallion. She attended Ferris High School in Spokane and earned a B.S. in parks management from Eastern Washington State College. Later, she served as a Special Educator in Spokane schools. As a Marine Corps wife, she indulged her love of travel, living in Rhode Island, Spain, Virginia, California, and Washington. Throughout her life, she served her community as an active member of Manito Presbyterian Church, Job's Daughters, Eastern Star, and P.E.O. Sherry's spirit of service and irrepressible cheer were matched only by her loving devotion to her family and her golden retrievers.

She is survived by her four children, Andrew (Amanda), Mark (Tiffany), Christopher (Gina), and Katherine (Marcus) Pannek, her five grandchildren, Kellie, Stanton, Matthew, Ada, and Harvey, her sister, Janice Bennett Geier, a stepbrother, Greg Donaldson, and her golden, Princess Penelope. She will be interred at the Wilbur Cemetery. Donations in her honor can be made to River's Wish Animal Sanctuary.