Cheryl L. Valdez

Cheryl Lynn Valdez was born on September 20, 1948, to Eugene and Esther Vanderpool, and passed peacefully from her husband’s loving arms into God’s on May 25, 2023. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; love leaves a memory no one can steal.

Cheryl married the love of her life, Sonny Valdez, on May 7, 1983. They had just celebrated their 40th anniversary. Throughout their 40 years together, they were able to see a lot of the world, but their best memories were at home with their animals and seeing the wildlife they so enjoyed every day. They had each deer named and their feral cats that they spoiled.

Cheryl and her family spent about five years in Olathe, Colorado, from 1983 to 1988. Cheryl worked in the accounting department of Colorado Ute in Montrose Colorado. She and Sonny then moved in 1988 to Ogden Utah where they spent the last several years working and living their lives. They moved back to Montrose in 2015 to be closer to other family and the mountains they missed.

Cheryl had two daughters, Sheila (Kevin) Garrison of Montrose, Colorado, and Laura (JJ) Micas of Ogden, Utah. She was the grandmother to five grandchildren Victoria (Vince) Smith, Candace (Wayne) Garrison, Anthony (Lexis) Carrazco, Cameron (Samantha) Garrison, and Angel Carrazco. Cheryl also had four great-grandchildren. Your life was a blessing, your memory, a treasure. Her family meant the world to her. She always attended every birthday, anniversary, or any other important date. She was fiercely protective of those she loved and cared about. She will be incredibly missed and forever loved. She was an amazing mother, wife, daughter, grandmother, and friend. To live in the hearts, we leave behind is not to die. We believe in the fact that one day we will see you again.

Cremation has taken place. From one of Cheryl’s favorite songs by Elton John, “Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did,” May you touch dragonflies and stars, dance with fairies, and talk to the moon. We will hold you in our hearts until we can hold you again in heaven.