Obituary of Jack Cherry

We celebrate the life of Jack Earl Cherry, 74, of West Columbia, devoted husband of Bonnie Miller Cherry, who passed away Wednesday, April 22, 2015. He was born on March 1, 1941 to the late Benton L. and Ethel O'Cain Cherry. Mr. Cherry graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He began his career with SCE&G and retired from there after 39 years. He was a U.S. Army wartime veteran, having served in Vietnam. Among those surviving to treasure his memory and honor his life, are his wife of 53 years, Bonnie; his daughter, Dr. Suzanne Cherry-Poole and spouse Eddie; a son, Martin (Marc) E. Cherry and spouse Robyn; 2 brothers, Benton L., and Danny M Cherry and spouse Trixie; a brother in law, Bobby Arant; and 5 grandchildren: Conley, Joseph, Reilly, Brogan Poole, and Jordan Hensel. He was predeceased by his sister, Betty Jean Arant. Jack was a proud lifelong South Carolinian and enjoyed traveling with family and friends. He treasured his time spent on the water, especially at Pine Island, Crystal Lake, and Isle of Palms. His greatest loves were his family, fishing, and USC baseball. His greatest frustrations were fishing, USC baseball, and USC football. He was a faithful member of Mt. Hebron UMC and treasured his church family, especially the members of the Friendship Sunday School Class. He dedicated many volunteer hours at his church and with the Lexington County Election Commission. Known for his unhurried approach to life, Jack's patient demeanor was surpassed only by his gracious and generous spirit. His uncanny ability to "craft and fix" things will be missed by all who have come to depend on his irreplaceable skills, as will his special family recipes of homemade Cherry ice cream, pimento cheese, and shrimp cocktail sauce. He was a devoted brother, and admired father, but he took his greatest joy in spending time with his grandchildren. Funeral Services will be held at 3:00 pm, Sunday April 26, 2015, at Mt Hebron United Methodist Church, 3050 Leaphart Road, West Columbia, SC 29169. Burial will follow in Woodbridge Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm Saturday, April 25, 2015 at Thompson Funeral Home of Lexington, as well as at Woodbridge Memorial following the committal service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mt. Hebron United Methodist Church, The Cornerstone Project.