Sherry Ann (Warren) Tuckel

Sherry Ann (Warren) Tuckel, of rural Lecompton, Kansas, passed peacefully in hospice on September 6, 2026, after suffering a series of strokes. She was a vibrant 80.

Sherry was born April 22, 1946, in Topeka, Kansas, to Thelma and Leonard Warren. The youngest of seven, she grew up a farm kid, attending Enterprise, a local one-room schoolhouse for her elementary years. She graduated from Overbrook High School in 1964 and went to work at Hallmark Cards.

It was during this time, Sherry first laid eyes on the man who would become her everything, Emmett Tuckel, at Allen’s Drive-In, a popular local hangout in Lawrence. He had recently returned from the military and was turning heads in his GTO, shooting the square. Sherry said she knew he was the one as soon as they met, and he only had eyes for her. After a short courtship, they became engaged on Valentine’s Day and were married on April 16, 1966.

It was a love that would last their entire lives and beyond.

Sherry later worked at the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant before becoming a dedicated homemaker and mother raising their three daughters. While the girls were young, she was actively involved in their schools, including the PTO and serving as a room mother.

Anyone who knew Sherry knew of her complete love and adoration for Emmett. The two were nearly synonymous. Where one was, the other was rarely far away. When Emmett passed with her at his side as always, Sherry spent the rest of her days missing him. Theirs was a true love story.

They were wonderfully complementary. Emmett, quiet and smiling, was an industrious problem-solver, a patient father, a mechanic with the mind of an engineer, unflappable and completely devoted to her. He was perfectly happy to let Sherry work the room and carry the conversation for both of them much of the time.

And Sherry could work a room.

Like many in her family, Sherry was socially gifted. She could, and often did, talk with anyone. She was an amazing listener who genuinely loved people, always had a good story or family memory to share, and had a wonderful sense of humor and could be ornery, a beautiful laugh and smile. A life member of the Lecompton Historical Society, she had a deep appreciation for history, particularly the history of her family and the community she called home. She was a walking family-tree archive, always ready with a story, a name, a connection or a memory from years before. Most of all, she simply loved being with and surrounded by her family.

Sherry was also a lifelong lover of animals, both wild and domestic. She kept water and grain out for the deer and fed the possums, raccoons, birds and, somewhat less intentionally, the skunks, along with any other creature that appeared in the yard.

This was something they shared and collaborated on. Over nearly 58 years of marriage, Sherry and Emmett shared their lives with, rescued and helped an extraordinary assortment of animals. There were many dogs and cats, horses, goats, chickens, peacocks and guinea fowl; countless cottontail rabbits, and three white-tailed deer they rescued, loved, raised and successfully released. With her passing, the Rainbow Bridge is likely a traffic jam, filled with the pitter-patter of paws and many happy reunions.

She was a voracious reader and loved to watch old Westerns, baseball and had a passion for a variety of music genres. There was nearly always something playing on the console stereo, whether it was a record, a Royals game, or simply music filling the rooms.

She was an amazing cook who kept treasured family recipes alive while continually adding new ones to the repertoire. She had a gift for making holidays special. To Sherry, a holiday was an occasion, and an occasion was a reason to celebrate.

Together, Sherry and Emmett loved their children, their animals, their land, their gardens, their family and their friends. They were generous of spirit, and could be counted on to step forward when someone needed help. Together, they built a life grounded in devotion, hard work, laughter, generosity and love, and in doing so set a beautiful example of a life well lived.

Sherry is survived by her daughters, Angela, Lisa (Jeff), and Michelle (Roy); six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; her brothers, Larry Warren (Judy) and Gayle Warren (Emma); many nieces, nephews and extended family members; and her two cats.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Emmett Tuckel; her brothers, Gary Warren, Darrel Warren and Gerald Warren; her sister, Betty Schirmer; and her parents, Thelma and Leonard Warren.

Sherry will be deeply missed and well remembered by the many people whose lives she touched.

…and somewhere, in an Irish Mist GTO riding off into the sunset, Sherry and Emmett are together again.

Rest in peace, and love.

A celebration of Sherry’s life will be held at a later date, to be announced.

The family suggests memorials in her name to:

Sherry Tuckel at Operation WildLife Inc.

23375 Guthrie Rd

Linwood KS 66052

785-542-3625

www.owl-online.org

Sherry Tuckel at Lawrence Humane Society

1805 E 19th St, Lawrence, KS 66046.

785-542-3625

lawrencehumane.org/donate/