Sheri L. Johnston's Obituary
It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of our beloved wife and mother, Sheri Laws Johnston. Sheri died on Tuesday, December 27th, 2022. True to her Catholic faith, she died with the final amen of her Last Rites. She was surrounded by her family, who will always love her and miss her dearly.
Sheri was born on June 1, 1944, in Longview, Texas to Thomas Graye and Dula Williamson Laws. She grew up with her sister, Linda, who she affectionately called “Sis Willy.” Sheri attended Longview schools where she had many friends due to her wit and charm. She was involved in dance, taking tap and ballet for many years, and played the drums in her school band. Sheri graduated from Longview High School in 1962. She attended Kilgore College and Stephen F. Austin State University where she studied Liberal Arts.
Sheri first met her husband, Larry Blaine Johnston, while still in high school, and they began dating soon after she graduated. Sheri and Larry began the adventures of a lifetime when they were married on November 9th, 1963. They began a family shortly thereafter, with the arrival of four daughters over the next several years.
Sheri was a devoted mother and loved being involved in the lives of her daughters. She sent all four of them to parochial schools where she was an active volunteer. Sheri was a Girl Scout troop leader, drove on field trips, and helped with lunch lines and classroom parties. She threw wonderful birthday parties, decorated fabulous bedrooms, and enrolled her daughters in many activities. She read them Robert Louis Stevenson and Edgar Allen Poe while they were still small children and ensured their love of reading continued through the years by consistently taking them to bookstores and libraries. She was so much fun and made growing up a joy.
Sheri loved the mountains, and would often say, “The mountains are calling, and I must answer.” She loved dogs and had several faithful, furry friends over the years, including Atticus, Scout, Jane Bond, Max, and Boo Radley. She loved music and listened to singers as varied as Pavarotti, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash. She loved a good mystery book or show and could often solve them before getting to the end.
Over the years Sheri and Larry lived in several different places, including her favorite, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico where Sheri once led a conga line during a Mexican holiday and joined a parade to dance in the streets.
Sheri imparted her joy, lightness, and her love of song and dance to her 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren, who lovingly refer to her as Honey. Honey will always be remembered as a bright light who showed them that humor, whimsy, and music can make every day a little better. Our sweet Honey will be with us whenever we hear an Elvis song or La Bamba, see the Rocky Mountains, or dance like nobody is watching.
Sheri is preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Dula Laws. She is survived by her husband, Larry, their four daughters, Julie Johnston Procell, Ashley Johnston Jones, Ana Mittal and husband Manu, Megaan Stoehr and husband Wes, her grandchildren, Leah Hart, Kirstin Steiner, Dylan Stoker, Shari Stoker Yadav, Mariah Procell Cates, Mason and Tristan Procell, Madeline and Aubrey Jones, Nikhil and Neel Mittal, 8 great-grandchildren, her sister Linda Laws, and her sister-in-law Sister Cynthia Johnston.
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