Cheryl Kay Norman Cusack passed away at home on February 6, 2022 on her 76th birthday.
Cheryl was born on February 6, 1946, in Carrollton, Missouri, and was adopted by loving parents Elton F. Norman, and Mildred W Poindexter Norman, and grew up in Chillicothe, Missouri.
Cheryl was always in the news as a teenager at Chillicothe High School; as drum major, twirler, tap dancer, baritone saxophone player, choir member, and in the marching band, and received a scholarship to attend the University of Missouri as a twirler of the Marching Mizzou. After 2 years in UM, she worked at Old Security Insurance, Co. in Kansas City, Missouri, where she met her husband, John Thomas Cusack. Cheryl and John were married on February 10, 1967, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. She always had a wild tale to tell about her elopement in a private plane in the middle of the night to Oklahoma.
Cheryl and John had 4 children: Denise, Christine, Casie, and Alec, all born in Kansas City, Missouri. She was very active with the Park District teaching tap, ballet, tumbling, jazz, and twirling, as a Baton Coach of the Northern Lights Twirling Team, Baton Competition organizer, and as a Brownie Troop Leader. She was always surrounded by kids. The family moved to St. Charles, Illinois in 1984, and John died on January 7, 1986, in a car accident with Cheryl in the passenger seat.
In St. Charles, Cheryl worked for the St. Charles Park District and was a guest teacher for several area park districts, organizing classes, sports, and activities. She loved being active with local social clubs, and was always traveling, going out, and spending time with her friends. She then worked as a portrait photographer for many years, until she moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 2004 to be near family. She was always coloring, air twirling invisible batons, singing along to the music, reading her books, or working on her crossword puzzles.
She loved to travel to visit her kids, spread throughout the country.
Cheryl met Robert Sindelar, who was her partner for 13 years. She passed away in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin in their shared home.
Cheryl was preceded in death by her parents, Elton F. and Mildred Norman, her husband, John T. Cusack, and many friends and family.
She is survived by her brother Robert E. Norman, her children Denise Cusack Ruth, Christine Cusack, Casie Blanton, Alec Cusack, and Andrea Wescott Callan, her grandchildren Joshua Basave, Isabel Basave, Aidan Cusack-Ruth, Gavin Cusack-Ruth, Lani Cusack, Dane Cusack, Roman Cusack, Austin Cusack, Cody Cusack, and her partner Robert Sindelar. She also leaves many cousins, nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.
A memorial gathering will be held at the Koepsell-Murray Funeral Home in Beaver Dam on Saturday, February 12, 2022 from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the memorial service at 11 a.m. Deacon Ed Cody will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Cheryl’s name to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation at https://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/.
Koepsell-Murray Funeral Home in Beaver Dam is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at www.koepsellfh.com.
