Obituary for Cheryl Lynn Willcox
Cheryl Lynn Willcox, 53, passed away April 11, 2024. Cheryl was born locally in Virginia Beach, to the late Blair Wilcox, Sr. and June Divers Willcox. Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her uncle, Vernon Richard Divers, Sr.; and her aunts, Sue Redditt and Laurel Thompson.
Cheryl lived in Virginia Beach for her entire life. She grew up planning to be a nurse and even started school for nursing, however, her mother’s health issues led to her staying home to care for her mother.
As a teenager, Cheryl frequently babysat her cousin Cindie’s sons, Pierce and Trey. Both boys adored Cheryl and loved being with her. Cheryl took her babysitting duties seriously and enjoyed doing fun activities and taking the boys’ places, even being brave enough to care for them for a week while their parents were out of town. She was so proud of their accomplishments.
Cheryl’s first job was a part-time seasonal position at the Jackson Hewitt corporate office. She turned that part-time position into a lengthy technology career in the tax industry. She stayed with Jackson Hewitt for several years prior to migrating to Liberty Tax Service.
Cheryl was an avid reader and she also enjoyed writing short stories that focused on her love of fantasy, sci-fi and Star Trek. Cheryl and her brother Blair were founding members of the USS Ma’at, the local chapter of the international Star Trek fan association, STARFLEET. She was a member of the organization for many years and most recently she was a member of the USS Avenger. During her career in the organization, she held multiple positions of responsibility, and she was known to be very welcoming to new members and helped them integrate into the chapters. Her bubbly personality made her a natural person to seek out during activities and led to many lifelong friendships. One of these lifelong friendships included meeting her long-time companion, Scott.
Through her association with the USS Ma’at, Cheryl volunteered with many organizations, WHRO, Senior Services of Southeastern Services, the Virginia Beach Library system and her personal favorite, the Virginia Beach SPCA. Cheryl adored animals, and the Willcox household was always filled with birds, cats, dogs, gerbils, etc. Her crazy tuxedo cat Tippy was her constant companion and she enjoyed spoiling her beloved dogs, Kira, Tessa and Freya.
Cheryl loved many types of music. Her favorite musical was Phantom of the Opera, which she saw several times. Cheryl had a lovely voice, and she could frequently be found singing along with all her favorite songs. Her fondness for boy bands was well known and she frequently attended concerts. She even flew with her niece, Elizabeth, to Tampa, Florida two years in a row to see her favorite boy band, *NSYNC.
Left to cherish her memory is her loving brother, Blair S. Willcox, Jr, and his family, her aunt, Diane Divers, her cousins: Cindie Embry, Vernon Richard Divers, Jr., Kimberly Henderson, and Christopher Divers and their families, and her long-time companion, Scott Melrose.
A graveside service will take place at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, Norfolk, VA at 11:00 AM. Following the service, the family will receive friends at Bow Creek Recreation Center, 3427 Club House Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23452 from 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM.
Please visit www.grahamfuneralhome.com to leave a condolence to the family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Virginia Beach SPCA https://vbspca.com/honors-and-memorials/
Cheryl lived in Virginia Beach for her entire life. She grew up planning to be a nurse and even started school for nursing, however, her mother’s health issues led to her staying home to care for her mother.
As a teenager, Cheryl frequently babysat her cousin Cindie’s sons, Pierce and Trey. Both boys adored Cheryl and loved being with her. Cheryl took her babysitting duties seriously and enjoyed doing fun activities and taking the boys’ places, even being brave enough to care for them for a week while their parents were out of town. She was so proud of their accomplishments.
Cheryl’s first job was a part-time seasonal position at the Jackson Hewitt corporate office. She turned that part-time position into a lengthy technology career in the tax industry. She stayed with Jackson Hewitt for several years prior to migrating to Liberty Tax Service.
Cheryl was an avid reader and she also enjoyed writing short stories that focused on her love of fantasy, sci-fi and Star Trek. Cheryl and her brother Blair were founding members of the USS Ma’at, the local chapter of the international Star Trek fan association, STARFLEET. She was a member of the organization for many years and most recently she was a member of the USS Avenger. During her career in the organization, she held multiple positions of responsibility, and she was known to be very welcoming to new members and helped them integrate into the chapters. Her bubbly personality made her a natural person to seek out during activities and led to many lifelong friendships. One of these lifelong friendships included meeting her long-time companion, Scott.
Through her association with the USS Ma’at, Cheryl volunteered with many organizations, WHRO, Senior Services of Southeastern Services, the Virginia Beach Library system and her personal favorite, the Virginia Beach SPCA. Cheryl adored animals, and the Willcox household was always filled with birds, cats, dogs, gerbils, etc. Her crazy tuxedo cat Tippy was her constant companion and she enjoyed spoiling her beloved dogs, Kira, Tessa and Freya.
Cheryl loved many types of music. Her favorite musical was Phantom of the Opera, which she saw several times. Cheryl had a lovely voice, and she could frequently be found singing along with all her favorite songs. Her fondness for boy bands was well known and she frequently attended concerts. She even flew with her niece, Elizabeth, to Tampa, Florida two years in a row to see her favorite boy band, *NSYNC.
Left to cherish her memory is her loving brother, Blair S. Willcox, Jr, and his family, her aunt, Diane Divers, her cousins: Cindie Embry, Vernon Richard Divers, Jr., Kimberly Henderson, and Christopher Divers and their families, and her long-time companion, Scott Melrose.
A graveside service will take place at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, Norfolk, VA at 11:00 AM. Following the service, the family will receive friends at Bow Creek Recreation Center, 3427 Club House Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23452 from 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM.
Please visit www.grahamfuneralhome.com to leave a condolence to the family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Virginia Beach SPCA https://vbspca.com/honors-and-memorials/