Sherry M. (O'Leary) Marnell

Sherry M. Marnell, age 75 of Pawleys Island, SC passed away Saturday, August 8, 2020, due to complications from COVID-19. Sherry was born in Chicago, IL on April 15, 1945, the daughter of Edward and Thelma (Klinkenborg) O’Leary. She grew up in Park Forest, IL, and met the love of her life, Nick Marnell, while working as a roller-skating carhop at Dandy’s in Chicago Heights. Their first date was on November 22, 1963 – the day JFK was assassinated, and they were married on June 11, 1966.

Sherry developed a passion for travel at an early age. Working for United Airlines as a reservation agent on the switchboard provided an opportunity for her first overseas trip to Paris. Throughout her life, she looked forward to traveling: visiting lifelong friends in South Carolina, the occasional family adventure, annual ‘friend trips’ to Mexico, and meticulously-planned European excursions with her husband.

She graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in political science and led her life as a faithful public servant. She served as campaign manager and legislative aid for a State Senator and served in leadership roles for the Department of Public Aid. She transitioned to the non-profit sector and spent the remainder of her career dedicated to economic development in the South Suburban community in which she lived. A fitting end to an impressive career, Sherry was the recipient of a “Good Egg” award from her home town of Park Forest in 2009 for leading a workforce development program that successfully prepared minority students for careers in health care.        

Sherry and Nick fulfilled their well-executed plan to retire in South Carolina, where Sherry continued to give back to the community in which she lived. She remained active in politics and was a proud member of the GOP, most recently serving as the Secretary and Program Director of the Georgetown County Republican Party and a delegate to the state convention. Sherry was a woman of strong faith and an active volunteer at Precious Blood of Christ Catholic Church. As a member of the Women’s Club, Sherry co-chaired the Grant Program and Arts & Crafts Festival, and enjoyed being a member of the Golf Group. Her love for the coastline and preservation led her to become a volunteer for South Carolina United Turtle Enthusiasts (S.C.U.T.E.) for which she walked a section of the beach once a week to identify Sea Turtle nests that required protection. Sherry was a voracious reader, an artistic gardener, and she loved to play Mahjong and teach others to play.

More than anything, Sherry cherished her family and friends. As the eldest of nine children, she was the true matriarch of her family and valued quality time with her brothers and sisters, children, and grandchildren. She made the holidays and every occasion special, and she was thrilled to have two sisters join her in retirement in Pawleys Island. Sherry was immensely proud of her children and grandchildren and celebrated milestones at every opportunity she could. She loved to attend her grandson Ryan’s baseball games, or follow them live on-line, as her son Chris coached. She was grandson Jack’s biggest fan at basketball games through the years, and it was a special treat to watch her granddaughter Kailey’s performances with her daughter Dina.

Sherry’s family hopes she has a good cook in heaven! Although she was an excellent cook herself, she was admittedly spoiled by her husband’s culinary skills. She was a dedicated and caring wife to Nick, who playfully ‘tolerated’ her affection for shoes, handbags and gelato. In 2016, Sherry and Nick celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Italy, and received a framed anniversary blessing from His Holiness Pope Francis to commemorate the occasion.

Sherry is survived by her beloved husband of 54 years, Nick Marnell; siblings, Patricia (Bruce) Carberry, Chantel (Mick, dec.) Bundy, Jackie (Leo) Benlisa, Timbra Sikorski, Edward (MaryPat) O’Leary, Kevin (Eileen) O’Leary, Jennifer O’Leary (Rick Bugner, dec.); her children, Chris (Rachel) Marnell and Dina (Paul) Boyle; three grandchildren, Kailey Boyle, Jack Boyle and Ryan Marnell; and her loving nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her sister Lexis O’Leary. 

Sherry’s family would like to thank the caregivers at Georgetown Memorial Hospital, especially Dr. Desmond Young, and the exceptional ICU staff for their expertise, compassion and respect. Due to COVID safety concerns, the Mass of Christian Burial at Precious Blood of Christ Catholic Church on Thursday will be private. A public celebration of Sherry’s life is being planned for a future date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Precious Blood of Christ Catholic Women’s Club (PBOCCWC), www.wcpboc.com, or the S.C.U.T.E. organization at www.seaturtle.org.

Condolences may be made at www.burroughsfh.com

Burroughs Funeral Home and Cremation Services (843.651.1440) of Murrells Inlet is assisting the family with arrangements.

To connect to the live stream directly:  https://pbocchurch.com/2019/04/13/live-streaming-of-the-weekend-mass-services-resume/ or go to pbocchurch.com and click on the box for the funeral Mass.  The Mass is live-streamed, but will be archived for a short while (maybe 2 weeks) for those who miss the live version.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.