Sherry Noel Montgomery Semrad

Sherry Noel Montgomery Semrad, 71, of Pine, AZ was born October 24, 1942. She passed away February 4, 2014 with her husband, James, and sister, JoAnne at her side. At her request, no funeral services are planned. There will be a celebration of her life in the Spring on her ranch in the Panhandle. Arrangements by Hudgel’s Swan Funeral Home, 22nd & Swan.

Sherry Noel Montgomery Semrad, Connoisseur “Save some for me.” The world was her buffet. She hungered to sample everything, every food, every movie, book, country, friendship. Each person, each experience was appreciated like fine wine. Sherry was a connoisseur of people, art, movies, books, culture/countries and fashion. Sherry Noel started with a limited menu in the Texas Panhandle and soaked it all up—read with her mother, Faye, rode a cow pony, Sugar Baby, with her father, Bill—shadowed her big brother, Bub, into the milking stall, twirled in her big sisters’ JoAnne’s petticoats. Sherry was fearless in her pursuit of the best life. Her email moniker was bugsonteeth. She made herself vulnerable, with a child like wonder, open to all life could give her—overcame a terror of putting her face in water to be able to water ski with her children in her 30’s, overcame rusty momma brain to earn not only her B.A. but her M.A too in speech pathology at the top program in the field, with top marks, in her 40’s, pulling up roots to start over four times.

At 15, Sherry couldn’t resist her friend Sarah’s invitation to meet a cute boy, stating the obvious, “You’re sooo tall,” and after a minute’s conversation, thinking, “And a smart ass to boot.” The cute boy was James and after refusing him a half dozen times, she relented. She cultivated that relationship into 52 years of marriage, sometimes tender, always passionate. Aunt Mary would say, “if one of them stops pushing, they’d both fall over.” The pushing frequently transformed into holding up and the tenderness grew with the accumulation of years and experience.

Her children were her finest works of art in her collection. Her oldest daughter, Melissa, is the best care giver. Her son, Matt, is the best father. Her baby, Theresa Michelle, is the best at anything she tries. And they are just the tip of the ice sculpture; there was nothing where her kids didn’t shine. Then, her grandchildren, there are not enough superlatives in the dictionary. Her only granddaughter, Katrin is the sun. Her first grandson, Ari is the moon. Her grandson, Matteo is the North Star. Her grandson, Carter is a dimpled big dipper. And Cooper, he’s her supernova.